Field Trip to the Moon
Readers will be over the moon about this wordless picture book! When a young student dozes off during a field trip and is left behind, a group of friendly residents draw near, mesmerized by the effect of a colorful box of crayons on their mostly gray environment. Although we cannot see the students’ or teacher’s faces due to space helmets, the author/illustrator uses brilliant body language within his art to depict their emotions throughout the adventure. Imaginations will soar and allow this story to evolve and change each time it is read, so grab this book when ready for an out-of-this-world adventure.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Revisit the story with children and look closely at the drawings created by the student and the space creatures. Adults can ask children to think about why the creatures chose colorful crayons for their drawings. Which color crayon is left in the student’s box to use at the end of the story? Consider with children why the student erased the drawings before heading back home. Why was it important to clean up before leaving? Where are some places we visit where it is important to clean up after ourselves?
Wordless books provide a wonderful opportunity for readers to create a story in their own words. This builds vocabulary as well as creativity and imagination. Encourage adults to use the cover and title of the book as a guide to make their own predictions about the story and to practice this same strategy before reading with children. Assure adults that there is no right or wrong way to read a wordless book; in fact, the beauty of a wordless book is that the story is different upon each re-read. Children can take turns being the reader, too, and adults can support their reading by expanding on their ideas and helping them notice specifics in the pictures. This interaction will allow adults to see the book through the eyes of their children, as their children build stories around the detailed and meaningful illustrations.