Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book

by Britta Teckentrup

Next in the much-loved children's series that began with Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book is an elaborate book with peek-through holes that show the moon's different phases with each turn of the page.

Over deserts and forests, Arctic tundra and tropical beaches, the moon shines down on creatures around the world. Children will love discovering how it changes from day to day as the lunar cycle is shown through clever peek-through holes, each revealing the moon in a different size and shape.

It's the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers--and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

Look for all the books in the Peek-Through Picture Book series: Tree, Bee, and The Twelve Days of Christmas.

"young readers will delight in finding the many creatures on every page. . . . A lovely addition, perfect for bedtime and one-on-one sharing."--School Library Journal

"The author's rhyming text includes well-chosen language that delights the ear."--Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Animals, Childrens, Science, Storytime, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Britta Teckentrup was born in Germany and moved to England in 1988. She is the author and illustrator of many books for children. She now lives in Berlin with her husband and young son.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my daughter's favorite picture books of the year. Moon is a picture book which illustrates Earth's moon phases with cut-outs on each page. Children also get a glimse of animals in various habitats at night. With roughly one sentence per page, this is a simple read for young ones just starting out, but interesting enough for older readers as well. The night setting makes for a wonderful bedtime book. We love it!

5*****

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so fun. I love this series of cut-out books that Britta does and this is one of her best. It all takes place at night with animals from all over the globe, warm and cold climes. She has the moon and she uses the cutout to make the moon wane and wax through the pages. It’s fantastic how she does it. We see a full moon and a new moon.

Plus, it’s told in rhyme and that cooks my goose right nice. I wouldn’t mind owning this little book. The artwork and it’s night-time colors are beautiful. Many of the animals are silhouettes.

Nephew had some fun with this too. He loved figuring out how the cutouts work and seeing the moon grow and shrink. He loved the animals and let himself enjoy the story. The stars aligned as he gave this 4 stars. Alright.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous picture book that tells the reader all about the moon's effect on nature and animals as it goes through its phases.





The author's artwork is truly the highlight here!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous! This extremely talented illustrator has created a marvelous peek-through picture book, for younger children. This is my first introduction to her work, but I'll be looking for more.

Cut out areas on each page show the cycles of the moon. Beautiful illustrations depict various nocturnal creatures around the world, in their nighttime habitats. The colors and art style are vibrant and very engaging, even for a night setting.

Animals are "drawn" simply but accurately, as this is not a non-fiction nature book, but rather a celebration of nature in brief, rhyming text. The style of illustration is not described anywhere, but it appears to contain some collage work (similar to Eric Carle), as well as colored pencil or crayon artwork.

Very enjoyable, and very much recommended! I particularly loved the watery scenes, with turtles, and with jellyfish. Suitable for ages 3-7, and slightly older kiddos who are hooked on animals and habitats. I love that the illustrator gets "first billing" on the cover and title page: she deserves full credit for creating this lovely and lively book. (The author is listed in the publication information, and her text is also fun!)

[Laura Aldridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so conflicted by this book.

It's absolutely stunning. The art is beautiful, the concept is amazing. I LOVE the peek through with the moon phases as you turn each page.

But the moon phases are out of order.

The book goes Waxing - Full - New - Waning.

WHAT?!

The New moon does not come directly after a full moon. At first I thought this was the nature of the cutouts in the page - but no, based on how the other pages were done, it seems that it was totally possible to do the moon in the right order.

I would love to love this book, it has so much potential to teach children about the moon and it's impact and everything in a beautiful way...but it's not scientifically correct and that makes me sad.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

In de maneschijn


Een bos vol actieve dieren in de nacht.

Donker geïllustreerd, viel niet helemaal in de smaak. Het uitgesneden figuur van de maan op elke pagina is mooi gedaan.
Tekst is op rijm, wat ik liever niet zie.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently had the lovely opportunity to read this book with a small group of reception children. This magically illustrated, rhyming book touches upon nocturnal animals and the cycle of the moon. In addition to the wonderful story, this book was able to open up a variety of conversations amongst the children about many aspects of the book, this was wonderful to see and take part in. A fantastic cross-curricular option!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

These peek-through books are beautiful and engaging. I love how the technique is used to show the cycle of the moon. So effective!

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just a book that I saw at Target as we were doing some chores. I like the moon and along with the cover illustration it peaked my interest so I chose to read it on the spot.

Although the writing is simplistic and easy-to-follow the book itself seems to lack a solid plot. At times it seems to point to nonfiction but at the same time it allows the reader to view various creatures as well as how they may be influenced by the moon or just react to it. There doesn't seem to be much of a basis for the latter so I kind of wish the book had chosen which path it wanted to follow - a nonfiction teaching book or a compiled bedtime story.

I did enjoy the illustrations. The animals were cute, the right mood was set by the color palette used and the cut-outs were awesome as they showed to the reader the growth of the moon. It was fun to watch the moon change shapes while if I had the time I may have tried seeing if the book could have also been read backwards.

All in all it was a decent book and one that I may just have to pick-up again when next I see it to test my theory.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to like this book so much more, but I cannot. It suffers from forced concept, very forced rhyming, and a knowledge of its own beauty.

Her other books were better. This one wanders in and out of reason and narrative--the moon definitely does NOT wax nor wane that way though I think this was due to the artistic die cuts and not to any particular scientific reasoning--which could be confusing. This is weird and long. This could have been so MUCH better.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a trip around the world and follow the different activities of animals during the night during the different stages of the moon's cycle.
Beautifully illustrated, children and adults like can delight in this gorgeous book!

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna è un albo illustrato per bambini unico. Un libro poetico e sognante in cui si sottolinea la bellezza della vita sulla terra e l’amore incondizionato verso la natura.

Le strofe in rima e le illustrazioni tenere sono illuminate dal chiaro di luna, dal tempo che scorre .

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely rhyming text and just beautiful illustrations. Would be a good introduction to the cycles of the moon.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated tale of the lunar cycle around the world and through every season.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book both in its illustrations and it's poetry like prose... Inspiring, a true image adventure for ones eyes!

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 28 July 2019.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Moon by Britta Teckentrup, a peek-through books that provides a look at nocturnal wildlife and the the phases of the moon.

All around the world, nighttime animals look up at the sky and see the same things we often do: the stars, the Northern Lights, and of course, the moon. As the peek-through cutouts show the reader a waxing then waning moon, the art and rhyming text brings us around the world to see what nighttime nature is like in the desert, the jungle, the poles, the ocean, and more.

Tree, a book from the same series, is one of JJ’s favorites, so we had high hopes for this one. And we were pleased with many elements: the art is phenomenal, giving a look at dozens of nocturnal species and their habitats by setting up gorgeous moonlit scenes. The texts flows well and is easily read aloud. But two things did irk me: one, I wish the phases of the moon had been labeled or at least described more in the text; despite being the assumed focus of the book, very little attention was paid to the changing moon in the story. Also, there was a weird section in the center in which the moon phases abruptly switched to out of order, going from a full moon immediately to a new moon. It was a little jarring, especially considering the careful progression of the waxing moon up until that point. Otherwise, the length was fine and JJ enjoyed it. This one is definitely worth a read, but if your baby bookworm is looking for a more accurate look at our moon, you’ll have to look elsewhere. But still, but the lovely look at nighttime animals, it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty, and I like seeing the moon going through its cycle, and the various habits are cool, and what different critters do by moonlight.

But isn't it kinda weird how all the picturebooks act like the moon is only out at night? As if the sun and moon were balanced, and you could only ever have just one of the two?

Library copy

[Dyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a glimpse of what night looks like in different parts of the world, while learning about the phases of the MOON.

I think it has similar mood and art style like A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na or The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. I was just so-so on the text - and distracted that the first page asks a couple of questions, but then the book just goes on its "around the world" tour without answering them.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gentle picture book depicts the moon in various phases and a variety of nocturnal animals in different ecosystems. The colors are soft and deep, creating a sense of the night.

Share it with a budding astrologer and/or environmentalist.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna è un albo illustrato per bambini unico. Un libro poetico e sognante in cui si sottolinea la bellezza della vita sulla terra e l’amore incondizionato verso la natura. https://ilmondodichri.com/luna/

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming companion to Bee and Tree.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jennifer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gorgeous book with cut-outs by Britta Teckentrup, this time featuring the moon. A nice, peaceful book.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read for KS1 children. Particularly good for modelling rhyming couplets

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moon shines down on animals in deserts, forests, tropical beaches, and Arctic tundra. What do animals do at night? What does the moon in their night skies look like?

The rhyming text introduces each animal in its habitat, each page in this peek-through picture book features cut-outs of the moon showing many different stages, waxing and waning across each page of this charming book. Young readers are sure to enjoy watching the moon change shape as they meet the different animals living in the moonlight.

This book is part of a peek-through series that began with “Tree” and “Bee” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It’s perfect for young star-gazers as well as for readers interested in animals and science.

Highly recommended.

[Lauren Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is fascinated by space, the moon and the stars i was very excited to see this book on the bookshelf and just had to take it home. The illustrations are gorgeous and i loved the interactive element of the book through the 'peek-through' moon. The story flows nicely and is told in rhyme as it explores different creatures in the night and how the moon cycle effects them.
This would be a great book to use in the year 5 earth and space topic in science to show children the cycle of the moon.

[Alex Matzkeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich glaube, mir hat selten eine Übersetzung so die Lektüre verhagelt. Ich habe nicht überprüft, wie holprig die Reime im Original sind, aber gerade bei so einem meditativen Buch für den Abend finde ich es essenziell, dass die Sprache gut fließt. Und das tut sie nicht bei Reimen wie:

"Dort wo die Luft vor Kälte klirrt / und selbst der Papageitaucher friert"
"Im Dschungel, durch ein Dach aus Grün / sind silberne Strahlen des Mondes zu sehn"
"Der volle Mond schickt helles Licht / das funkelnd in den Wellen bricht"
"In seinem sanften Schimmer / schwingt ein Wunsch: Wir zwei, für immer"
"Pinguine stehen dicht an dicht / sie wärmen sich im Mondenlicht"

Irgendwas ist immer daneben, entweder der Rhythmus, die Grammatik oder der Reim. Dagegen kommen die niedlichen Zeichnungen nicht an.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son loves the moon. He enjoyed watching the different moon shapes with each turn of the page.

I appreciated the variety of animals, from wood creatures, the desert, jungle, ocean, mountains. Some of the animals my toddler couldn’t relate to (yet) like puffins and patriots, but that’s how he’ll learn.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little book that follows the phases of the moon and various creatures that come out at night.