On My Love of Moongame

The moon is probably referenced more often in children's picture books than astronomy textbooks. Off the top of my head I can think of at least a half dozen lines from books sitting right here on one of our bookshelves.

"Chicka chicka boom boom; look there's a full moon" - Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
"While the moon sailed high in the dark night sky" - The Big Red Barn
"Moon in my bed and dreams in my head. That's what I'll wear tonight" - Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
"Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight." Harold and the Purple Crayon
"In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf." - The Very Hungry Caterpillar
"I love you right up to the moon and back." - Guess How Much I Love You
"Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon." - Goodnight Moon

 While I love these "moon" books, and most of them are probably well known to you, not one of them has earned a spot on the coveted bookshelf above Elinor's bed. That honor goes to Moongame by Frank Asch. First published in 1984, the year of my birth, this is a book I fondly remember from my own childhood.  Moongame is actually one in a series of books about a naive little bear who wants so badly to interact with the moon. Other (more popular) books in the series include Happy Birthday, Moon, Moon Bear, and Mooncake. But for some reason, we love Moongame most of all.

The plot is simple enough. Bear decides to play a game of hide-and-seek with the moon, and the action of the story is moved forward as Bear tries to uncover moon's hiding spot. He searches behind rocks and in house windows, not realizing that a passing cloud has merely covered the moon for the time being. Both Asch's text and illustrations are simple and charming. The color palette he uses is actually quite beautiful. It's a book that just feels gentle and cozy which makes it a great bedtime read. It's also a book that ages well with your child. As a toddler, they identify and empathize with Bear, hoping he'll find moon at long last. As a preschooler, they are in on the joke and can giggle as Bear mistakes a big wedge of cheese or a large yellow balloon for the moon.