Fascinating Books About the Moon for Kids

The moon is fascinating to people of all ages.  Little ones love to look at and learn about the beautiful changing ball in the sky. This week we are looking at non-fiction and fiction children’s books about the moon. These moon books can be used in a classroom during a moon unit or at home as you read a moon book by the light of the moon. Enjoy!

Books About the Moon

GET A FULL WEEK OF SPACE THEME ACTIVITIES IN OUR PRINTABLE PRESCHOOL LESSON PLANS.

Non-Fiction Books About the Moon

The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

The Moon Book is a book with facts, diagrams and drawings that help children understand the basics of the moon. The book includes information about the moons orbit, astronauts that have traveled to the moon, phases of the moon and more.

Moon by Steve Tomecek

In Moon a cat wants to know all about the moon and takes the readers on a journey as he learns more about the moon.  The illustrations are colorful and childlike and the information given covers history, phases of the moon and more.

On the Moon by Anna Milbourne

On the Moon asks readers the question: “What do you think it would be like to go there?”  Throughout the book the author answers that question with illustrations and photographs of the moon. The book includes facts about the moon in simple text that is great for preschoolers.

Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds

Eight Days Gone tells the story of Apollo 11 and the historical trip the astronauts took. The story is written in simple short sentences using single descriptive words. This is a great book for curious space learners.

What the Moon is Like by Franklyn M. Branley

What the Moon is Like uses photographs from the moon and illustrations to explain what the surface of the moon is like and how the moon might have been made. This book would be a great resource for young learners who have a basic knowledge of the moon and are looking for more information.

The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley

The Moon Seems to Change explains with charts and diagrams the phases of the moon. The illustrations in the book show the phases and how they happen in different ways which can help young children understand what is happening. There is also a detailed example and illustration of an experiment you can do to see the changes of the moon.

The Moon by Melanie Chrismer

The Moon is a good read for young learners who are just beginning to learn about the moon. The information on each page is not overwhelming but does give details about traveling to the moon, what the moon is, the phases and more. On the first two pages, key words are illustrated for you to find throughout the book. This is a great read overall for basic information about the moon.

The Moon by Ralph Winrich

The Moon by Ralph Winrich is a higher level reader than the The Moon by Meliaine Christmer. This book includes more detailed information, diagrams and charts about the moon. For early readers this would be a good resource to read with an adult as they learn more about the moon.

I See the Moon by Jacqueline Mitton

I See the Moon looks at the moon through the eyes of different types of animals. I love how the book looks at animals from around the world that see the moon and how the moon affects them.

Long Night Moon by Cynthia Rylant

Long Night Moon is a beautiful book about the name given to each month’s full moon by the Native Americans. Each month’s moon is shown in a dream-like illustration with a description.

Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup

This unique book shows you the different phases of the moon as you turn each page.

Moon! Earth’s Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty

This lighthearted read is a great way to teach your kids about the history of the moon and even how it was formed.

Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins

This story is based on a true story all about the women of NASA!

The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean by Dean Robbins

This story follows the fourth astronaut to land on the moon, and the only artist to actually paint it firsthand!

Fiction Books About the Moon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Owl Moon is a beautiful story of a girl and her pa as they set out during the night to see an owl. The story does not focus on the moon but moon lights the way, creates shadows and is an important part of the illustrations and story. I have used this book in my classroom with 4^th graders but this book can be used with kids of any age.

Man on the Moon by Simon Bartram

Man on the Moon is the story of Bob who travels to the moon every day to work on the moon. Little Bit and I love the story and hidden aliens you can find throughout the book.

Moon Child by Nadia Krilanovich

Moon Child is a dreamy and gentle story of raccoon, owl, and otter as they “play” with the moon. Elizabeth Sayles illustrations are beautiful and show a sleepy world where the three animals are curious about the moon.

Moonday by Adam Rex

In Moonday, the moon lowers to Earth one night and into a little girl’s backyard. While the moon is in her yard, morning does not come but the tide does. I loved the illustrations and layout of the pictures in this book. This is a fun and sleepy story that teaches readers about some of the affects the moon has on earth.

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis

A young boy takes his friend moon for a walk in I Took the Moon for a Walk. The story is told in a simple rhyme that little ones will enjoy. This book is also available as a board book.

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin

This adorable story will teach your children the phases of the moon in a funny story.

Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

What if the moon actually followed you home one day? Find out what it would be like with this fun story.

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon by Joyce Lapin

This fun story describes what it would be like on the moon by incorporating a birthday party into the mix!

Moon’s First Friends: One Giant Leap for Friendship by Susanna Leonard Hill

The story of a friendship-seeking moon is warm and lighthearted while also celebrating the Apollo moon landing.

City Moon by Rachael Cole

This feel-good story about a nighttime walk in search of the moon is a great bedtime story for your kids.

Is there a moon book that you love that we missed? If so, let us know.  There are so many great books about the moon available.

A Full Week of Space Theme Lesson Plans

Go to the moon and beyond with our space theme lesson plan set! It’s full of hands-on activities, covering math, reading, and science. Help your students shoot for the stars, and learn more about space.

Inside you’ll get over 30 hands-on reading, math, and science activities that will help kids learn early learning skills while introducing them to the planets, the night sky, and outer space. Watch this short video to see just a few examples of the types of activities and printables included in this set:

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers

Free Printable Night Sky Journals

While you’re learning about the moon together take some time to go outdoors and observe the night sky.

More Resources for Little Book Lovers

The best way to encourage a love of reading is to provide kids with many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of books that are of interest to them. That’s why we share so many books lists on Fantastic Fun and Learning. We want to make it easy for you to find great books your kids will love. Over the years we’ve also discovered some helpful tools for connecting kids and books.

Digital libraries are one very handy way to do this. Epic! is one of our favorite online libraries. It’s full of over 25,000 books, learning videos, quizzes and more for kids 12 and under…and it’s free for educators. Click here to learn more and sign up.

Book Boxes are another fun way to get kids excited about reading. What kid doesn’t love to get a special delivery in the mail?! The crew over at Bookroo finds the best little known books that you won’t already have in your library, and they send them to you each month. Take a peek inside a Bookroo Box here.

Book-Based Activities are also a lot of fun for kids. Jodie over at Growing Book by Book has saved us all a ton of time and created a full year of Book-Based Activity Calendars so that you can extend the fun with a special book each week.