I’ve been feeling moony lately.

It started with my “’round the moonlit town” poem from last week. Then I got my pal Iza Trapani’s beautifully illustrated Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in the mail (co-starring the moon), then my little Lorenzo rediscovered his formerly favorite bedtime book I Took the Moon for a Walk, which I reviewed a few months ago, and then there was this gorgeous halo moon the other night when I arrived at chorus rehearsal. I pointed it out to a couple of people, but no one paid it any attention. I don’t get that. How can you not be seduced by the beauty of the moon, even for the thousandth time? That moon is a smooth operator, if you ask me.

So today I’m sharing a little bedtime ditty I wrote for the book Lizard Lou, called “When the Moon Is There,” recited to a chorus of cicadas. Do you suppose there are cicadas on the moon?

WHEN THE MOON IS THERE

When the moon is there,
at half past six tonight,
we’ll sit out in the garden
to watch the fading light.

And when the moon is there,
we’ll have a bite to eat;
a slice of bread, a glass of milk,
and maybe something sweet.

And when the moon is there,
when it looks so small and far,
we’ll gather at the window
to name the brightest star.

You’ll stare up to the heavens,
your eyes so round and bright—
and when the moon is there,
I’ll kiss you all goodnight.

[heading style=”1″]Extension Activities: “When the Moon Is There”[/heading]

• Writing:
  • In this poem, I repeat the phrase “when the moon is there” to show the progression of time, the position of the moon in the sky, and what happens at each stage. Write a poem about the passage of time, focusing on something that tells time, like the moon, the sun, the stars, a clock, an hourglass, or a shadow, and use a repeated phrase to give the poem shape.
• Reading: 
  • Read my favorite moon picture book, I Took the Moon for a Walk.
  • Here’s an Amazon list of five more picture books about the moon.
• In the kitchen:
  • Oreo cookie moon phases, moon pies

Video Location: Cicada Central Station.