A splendid June morning with nothing to do, let's go play a round of golf or two!
It had been a while since we played the Moon, so Pete called and booked a tee-time for noon.
A picnic lunch and a jug of iced tea, peanut butter and sardines for Pete, a BLT for me.
We drove to the launch pad, traffic was light, Pete sat in the left seat, I sat on the right.
Pete hit the red button when the lights turned green, I saw a bright flash and smelled kerosene.
A throb and a thrust from someplace in back, with a ROAR and a WHOOSH we raced up the track!
And so, Jon and Pete set off on a great adventure but a dead battery strands them on the Moon. Eventually, Pete finds a way to save the day and get the crew safely back home again. An entirely entertaining whimsical tale wrapped around bits of practical wisdom that make good sense, on this planet or any other. Written in a rhyming verse to entertain ears of all ages. Hybrid sketch-on-photo images provide rich imagery that conveys details of the story and entertains the eyes, even after multiple readings. Pre-readers especially like to participate with vocalizing sound-words (click! pop! roar! whoosh! splash!) at familiar places in the story, so ask them to share in the theatrics. Early readers may need some help with pronouncing and understanding some of the bigger 'stretch' words. Grandparents will appreciate the rich image density and the opportunities provided for tangential conversations. The Moon scene images employ historical NASA Apollo mission photographs from the first moon landings as background for the antics of our two friends as they encounter and solve problems.
The My Favorite Penguin Book Series is written especially for an older reader to share with young listeners. The prose is written in rhyming verse that entertains the ear and offers opportunities for reader theatrics and character embellishments. The pages are filled with rich, colorful images in a hybrid sketch-on-photo style that provide visual engagement and opportunity for side conversations and tangential stories that will bridge generations. And of course, the storylines are complex enough that a reader and listener can discuss motives, and feelings, causes and effects as time and interest allows.