How to Bicycle to the Moon to Plant Sunflowers (a simple but brilliant plan in 24 easy steps) (links to amazon.com)

Mordicai Gerstein. Ages 4 – 8. (My 3-year-old son loves this book.) Roaring Brook Press. April 2013. 40 pages.  ISBN: 978-1596435124. Fiction. $16.99

At a Glance:

A little boy wants to plant sunflowers on the moon to cheer it up.  He devises a very creative and very funny plan to bicycle to the moon and plant his sunflower seeds. However, he’s too busy to actually implement his plan, so he walks you through how to do it.

How the Three-Year-Old in Residence Responded to this Book:

1. He wanted me to read it to him over and over again.
2. He would independently choose this book for me to read to him.
3. I found him “reading” this book to himself several times.
4. He started asking me for a bicycle and started pointing out sunflowers on our walks.
5. He became interested in planning and stating steps for what he was going to do.

Five Reasons to Read this Book:

1. It creatively incorporates the reader(s) into the story making it fun and very engaging.
2. It can lead to a great discussion about physics, the moon, oxygen, and gardening.
3. It does a great job introducing organization and steps to a plan.  (For example, My three-year-old son started “planning” things and creating steps after reading this book several times.)
4. It’s funny and outrageous.
5. The illustrations are playful and encourage children to ask a lot of excellent questions.

Probably Not the Best Fit for You If…

1. You want to read an accurate book about how to get to the moon.  Or planting sunflowers on the moon.  (This book is fiction and from my understanding of physics, isn’t very accurate.  Fun and imaginative, but not accurate.)

Author Website:

• http://www.mordicaigerstein.com/index.html

Other Reviews of this Book:

• http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2961 (Great interview with Mordicai Gerstein — one of my favorite sites.)
• http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-04/entertainment/39739280_1_sunflower-seeds-bubbles-acclaim
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mordicai-gerstein/how-bicycle-moon-plant-sunflowers/
• http://bookends.booklistonline.com/2013/05/06/celebrating-curiosity/ (And even lists Common Core connections)

Where Obtained:   Checked out from the library.  Reviewing this book solely because my son and I love it and I think you and your children will enjoy it, too.