Overview

Jack and Jill and the Man in the Moon is a rhyming picture book based on an ancient Scandinavian legend that explained the waxing and waning moon and that served as the basis of the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. When the people of ancient Sweden looked at the patterns of light and dark on the lunar surface, they saw not a man in the moon but two children, Hjuki and Bil, translated over time as Jack and Jill. Jack and Jill leave their farmhouse every night in a glen and climb a hill to fetch a pail of water from a well, and when the moon sees the children, he sweeps them into the sky to become his companions. When Jack and Jill frolic on the moon, it becomes a full, round ball, and Scandinavian sky watchers recognized the children's faces peering down at them from the lunar surface. While tumbling with Mister Moon in his silver sky palace, the Moon fills the children's pail with magic moon dew, and the moon wanes; drained of moisture. When the children tumble back to earth, they bring with them a bit of moon magic, shimmering like silver in their pail. They water the fields and renew the earth. Then they watch Mister Moon grow full, until they visit him again the next month. This book lends itself to educational and classroom use. As a teacher's resource, the story can be used to teach the lunar phases. It can be used to teach the colors of the rainbow, which, in this book, the children climb to reach the moon's silver sky palace. It can also be used to compare and contrast what people from different cultures recognized when they looked at the patterns of light and dark on the moon's surface. Vivid illustrations show the children's shadows on the Moon as they turn and tumble, and how the children's encounter with Mister Moon carries the moon through the phases. Illustrated by Claudie C. Bergeron.

Full Product Details

9798985671520

Table of Contents

Reviews

All aspects of [this book] are well presented. The narration is enjoyable and harmonious, and. ...the illustrations are magnificent and immerse the reader in their content. Jack and Jill and the Man in the Moon is a beautiful and loving tribute to the original Scandinavian legend.... . - Diana Lopez Readers' Favorite

Author Information

Tamra Andrews is a children's writer who is enchanted with myths and legends of the natural world. For many years, she wrote radio scripts on historical astronomy and sky legends for NPR's Star Date, an astronomy radio show produced by the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin. Later, she published two mythology encyclopedias and two teacher's guides, all of which include interpretations of myths and legends that explain the natural forces and how and why they moved the world. In addition to writing books, Ms. Andrews writes reading passages and educational resources for students from K-12 through college. Many of them include adaptations of ancient legends that reflect the mystery and magic that exists all around us and that children of all ages struggle to understand. Claudie spent her childhood immersed in art and never stopped drawing since. For the past few years, her work has been published in books and magazines internationally. When not painting, you can find her birdwatching or walking in nature. She currently lives in Quebec, Canada.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available