HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're teaming up with The Children's Book Review for an AWARENESS TOUR featuring a Children's Picture Book that's more than just a cute story about the sun and moon being best friends. It's a story that makes its way into the edutainment category as it sneaks in lessons on space and science you never saw coming. But...you don't have to take it from me because the author was kind enough to explore that very topic in a special GUEST POST, so stay tuned after the book intro to really EXPLORE! Ladies and gents, kiddos of all ages, set your sights on today's blog tour guest, and featured title...
by
Alicia Mofford
Illustrated by
Annie Wilkinson
9798985036619
Green Emerald Publishing
About the book...
The Sun and the Moon are best friends playing a never-ending game of tag in the sky. Many fascinating changes occur on Earth as they catch each other, hug each other, and give each other high-fives. What are those fascinating changes? Their playfulness creates eclipses, ocean tides, sunlight, and moonbeams that benefit us all.
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~~~ GUEST POST ~~~
How to Use Children's Books to Teach Kids About Space and Science
with author Alicia Mofford
When my daughter was two years old, we made her first banana bread in the kitchen. I remembered watching her smell the mashed bananas, pinching the flour with her tiny fingers, and putting sugar crystals in her mouth. While making the banana bread, all of my daughter's senses were engaged in the experience, and she was naturally excited and curious. When children immerse themselves in activities and use all of their senses to gather information for learning, they are learning by experience. Experiential learning is my go-to learning method with my children. Unfortunately, I can't apply this method when teaching about space. Therefore, the ability to learn about space is somewhat limited as we cannot experience it entirely with all our senses. An alternative is to use books. So how do I use books to teach my children about space?
I use books with pictures for my children. Children understand words through the illustrations, which connect the book's images and words on the page. Depending on the child's age, it also helps transfer knowledge from the book to the real world. My children, like most children, are naturally attracted to colorful images, which helps to keep their attention.
I try to find books about space that are relatable to children. As children observe the sky, they cannot see out of space, so the idea of space can be very challenging for young children. A suitable book should include the Sun or the Moon because children can see them. Children also experience the light from the Sun and the Moon. After introducing my daughter to the Sun and the Moon, it was easy to move onto the planets.
I look for books that convey learning through a story. Children love stories, which is a fantastic way to educate them. Stories ignite a child's imagination, build excitement, and keep them curious. I introduced space to my daughter with a similar story to The Sun Plays with the Moon, and she looked at the sky for a long time. I remember the days she would excitedly wake me by saying, "Mom, the Sun has pushed the Moon; wake up." A book with a rhymed story is even better. Children enjoy reading rhymed stories because they are engaging and memorable because they sound good.
The storyteller can make or break any space book. I pretend to be a master storyteller when reading books to my children. I switch into character mode with different voices to keep their attention and make it memorable. Adding a puppet is an excellent addition to being a storyteller. I am not very skilled at storytelling, but my daughters usually laugh, so it is good enough.
While space books are a great introduction to space education, I consider them supplemental because they cannot cater to the whole child's experience of space. To engage more of my children's senses, I intend to have them view space models, visit planetariums, or use telescopes as they become familiar with the basics through books. I read space books for my children to help them develop their imagination, inspire their curiosity, build their vocabulary, and create excitement to learn more about space based on the current information we know about space.
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About the author...
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Alicia Mofford is an international award-winning finalist author and native to the tropical island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Today, she calls Chicago her home. When she isn’t writing, Alicia is likely spending time with her family or playing with her dogs. Alicia works in the software industry and follows her muse after work. Whenever inspiration strikes, she is ready! The Sun Plays with the Moon was written in one day. It is safe to say that Alicia follows the mystery of her muse!
You can find her at https://aliciamofford.com/.
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Enter for the chance to win a tote, a book bag, a book-marker, and a signed hardcover copy of The Sun Plays with the Moon. The bags are handmade in the USA.
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
- A tote (Handmade in USA)
- A book bag (Handmade in USA)
- A book-marker
-A signed hardcover copy of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Four (4) winners receive:
- A signed hardcover copy of The Sun Plays with the Moon
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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for the guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!
TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, June 20, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Monday, June 20, 2022
An article by author Alicia Mofford
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Thursday, June 23, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Friday, June 24, 2022
A book activity paired with The Sun Plays with the Moon
Monday, June 27, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
A book activity paired with The Sun Plays with the Moon
Friday, June 30, 2022
A book review of The Sun Plays with the Moon
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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