The Phases of the Moon (Cycles in Nature) Paperback – Illustrated, July 30, 2015

Great for my first grade class😊

My 2 year old son is obsessed with the moon, but does not understand why the moon's appearance changes. I got this book to help him understand that its normal for the moon to change. I liked how two images of different phases were compared on the same page so the child could see its really the same object just cannot see all of it at once. I really liked page 9 because it shows the moon and Earth being lit by the Sun. This is a great perspective. I also like how on page 11, the typical moon diagram with Earth in the center and "half-moons" in all directions ALSO has the phases shown in the perimeter - very helpful, (though it could be confusing if not properly explained to kids.)We also have the "So That's How the Moon Changes Shape!" So I will do a brief comparison:1. The "Phases of the Moon" photo images are just of the moon itself so its pretty focused. It also talks about waxing and waning. So I think that book is better for 4+ year old kids that can handle more text per page. However, for elementary students, I prefer the Moon Book by Gail Gibbons because it has more content and explaining each phase is better done (though that book will also briefly discuss how ancient people's thought the moon was a god).2. "So That's How the Moon Changes Shape!" has fewer words per page and therefore is better suited for a child under 4 years old (which is what I needed). This book also has many photos of the moon on the same page for comparison in a table which really helps children understand the moon cycle visually (something other book do not have). The book also has more artistic and diverse photographs of the moon and even includes a photo of an astronaut on the moon's surface (whereas the photos in the above book are just of the moon itself.)I feel both of the above books are better for homeschooling or small groups due to their small size and difficultly of the concepts. I the end, I kept "So That's How the Moon Changes Shape!" and "The Moon Book." I then gave "The Phases of the Moon" as a gift.

Great little book showing telling & showing about the phases of the moon - great for little children!

This makes for great visuals for my students.