Customer Reviews

Happy Birthday, Moon (Moonbear)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If all books could leave you with such a "warm and fuzzy" feeling in your heart! I'd like to comment on "Happy Birthday, Moon" by Frank Asch. A little bear wants to give the moon a birthday present, but before he does, he needs to find out what the moon wants. He then makes the journey across the river, hikes through the woods, and up into the mountains. The little bear feels that the closer he is to the moon, the better the moon can hear him. The little bear begins to talk with the moon by interpreting the moon's response through his own echo. Eventually, he buys the moon a hat, because that's what the little bear said he wanted...(so of course, that's what the moon wanted too!) This adorable children's fantasy is beautifully illustrated using simple illustrations with soft, rounded edges. The illustrations are accurate and correspond nicely with the content of the story. The calm mood of the night time is warmly displayed throughout the story. This book enhances the characterizations and avoids stereotypes of race and sex. I think this book should be read to children of all ages because it's theme is appealing and extremely worthwhile. It shows you about friendship, sharing, caring, forgiveness, and how making an effort to make someone else happy, can make you just as happy! I feel the author's style is very appropriate for children aged from zero to ...well...thirty-two! I'm still a kid a heart and absolutely loved it! I'm also a future teacher and love the content of this heartfelt story. This book fulfills a beautiful harmony of text, illustration, format and typography. I'm sure anyone would truly enjoy this wonderful little book about friendship, selflessness and love.

As a future teacher who will have to face young children who are a lot more advanced (technologically, mentally, emotionally, and in many other respects) than I was this book offers me a feeling of comfort. A feeling that some innocene is still alive. Bears innocence is refreshing as well as delighting, and amusing. As many times as he speaks to the moon he never realizes that the moons voice sounds a lot like his. The voice that he hears, and that speaks to him uses all of the exact words that he uses. However, it never occurs to him that it is his own. His desire to make a new friend and please that friend is all he wants and although he may believe he found such a friend in the moon, he actually found it within himself. I feel that this book shows various qualities such as, forgiveness(when the hats are lost), caring(the giving of the presents), determination(bear traveling some distance until he is finally able to converse with the moon), and many more that I would like to help build in my children.

I have the original printing of this book that my mom bought for me when I was little and I still read it to this day just for sheer enjoyment. This is the perfect book for toddlers (I read it to my little brother when he was very young and he loved it!) I considered giving away my copy as a gift to a friend of mind who is having a baby soon and I decided to buy her her own copy because I couldn't bear to part with mine. This is a book to pass down definitely!

This is a simple but wonderful birthday book for all of us. Unlike other books that try to teach a lesson about sharing or the joys of giving to counteract a child's normal birthday euphoria, this one imparts Bear's pure joy in selecting and giving a gift. Then when it disappears along with the gift he received, his joy lingers...along with ours...and we all understand the greatest gift is the feeling we are left with when we share our love.

Children like stories where characters have mistaken ideas of what the moon is. The Caldecott winning book, "Many Moons" (which I HIGHLY recommend you run out and read immediately if not sooner) supposes that the moon is no larger than a thumbnail and made of pure gold. In this book, "Happy Birthday, Moon", a small cuddly bear supposes that the moon is like any other creature and, if you get close enough, you can have a conversation with it. Through a series of misadventures (echoes, trees, and winds) Bear comes to the conclusion that the moon would like a beautiful hat for its birthday. In the end, he and the moon have (in his mind) grown closer over the course of the story.

And boy oh boy is this picture book simple. No extraneous details or folderols here. The lines are clear cut and smooth. From the perfectly circular and yellow moon in the sky to the deftly lined Bear, not a single line or color is out of place here. For those parents wishing to calm their little ones down with a simply told, simply drawn story, this book is ideal. Concepts are not difficult to grasp and words never get any more difficult than "birthday" or "beautiful". It is a nice little book.

This exciting children's book teaches a wonderful lesson about giving to others using the moon as an imaginary friend. The book also has an underlying mission that teaches the reader (Or listener) about the dynamics of an echo. It is a "must have" for every children's library. (Especially those home libraries of bedtime stories) The beautiful illustrations make it perfect bedtime reading for newborns and beyond. Once children start learning to read to themselves, this book is perfect because of its simplicity and the special lesson that it conveys.
The lesson about giving something special to somebody else to celebrate your own special occasions goes way beyond the bindings of this 28 page children's book. I have two daughters who for the past decade have been "donating their Christmas holidays and birthdays" to orchestrate fund raisers for children, animals, and disabled people less fortunate than themselves. Working together and individually they have raised over a quarter of a million dollars for bunk beds and a playground for a children's shelter, seed money to build a new animal shelter and wildlife hospital, hurricane supply kits for the disabled, and many more worthy causes. Their "credo" has always been "Rather than presents for me, I am asking everyone to "give a little" to help those who need it the most. It sounds like what Bear did in "Happy Birthday Moon". For his birthday, he wanted to get a special present for the moon rather than focusing on what he wanted for himself. What a wonderful lesson for young children to incorporate into their own set of values. Thank you Mr. Asch for this deep and wonderful message buried at the surface of this simple children's bedtime story. It was an important influence on what my daughters have been able to accomplish because it was one of their favorite bedtime stories.

Pretty cute book for 18months and up. Our 18 month old is obsessed with moons so he loves it.

(on behalf of my 6 year old son). I like this book because nothing went wrong except one thing, and it was when bear said, "Hello" but it echoed. I recommend this book because it is a pretty good beginner book.

I found this book by accident at the library while my 5 yr old daughter and I were looking for specific stories she had to read for school. I put it in the pile to be checked out and surprised her with it when we got home. She has had a stuffed crescent moon since she was a year old and has always had a fondness for the moon. She absolutely loved this story. We read it over and over. She told the story to her grandmom, her aunt, her cousins. Unfortunately the library book was due back. This will be a special gift for her upcoming birthday. I'm also considering Mooncake to go with it. There's nothing quite like having your little girl read stories to you especially a story that makes her smile long after the she's reached the end of the book.

MY 2 1/2 years old son loves this book so much. With a little bit of play and imagination you could make it fun and lovable for your kids to have a good bed time story. It's so lovable the way the moon talks to the bear and the way the bear does all the things for the moon. My son loves it when the moon says "That's ok, I still love you." He always has a big smile and giggles.