The Late Moon

For grown-ups

A night in the backyard with a grandparent and his moon diary, waiting for a moon that has risen later each night.

What your child practises

• Why the moon has been coming up a little later each night
• Noticing a pattern and making a guess from it
• Night sky words: stars often twinkle, planets usually look steadier, east and west
• Animals that come out at night

Listen for

Your child saying the moon is late, not gone, or that it has been coming up a little later each night.

Your part

• Follow the story first, and ask only the tips your child enjoys; keep reading when something exciting is about to happen
• Try the apple game at home: one person turns, the other moves the apple around them the same way, a little each time

Take it off the screen

Look for the moon at the same time each morning for a few days. Draw where it is, or draw an empty sky.

Your child's name is staying at Grandpa's. Grandpa comes up the path with a big backpack and his old moon diary. He has watched the moon from this backyard since he was a boy. "Guess what we are doing tonight?" he asks. "Sleeping out in a tent, to watch the moon come up." Your child's name jumps so high that their Pet jumps too.

"What do we need?" asks Grandpa. Your child's name packs a blanket, the lantern, a thermos of cocoa, a flashlight and a storybook. Their Pet climbs into the backpack too. "Very useful," laughs Grandpa. "A Pet keeps you warm."

In the backyard, your child's name and Grandpa put up the tent, with its door facing the hill. "The moon will come up over that hill tonight," says Grandpa. Your child's name taps in the last peg. Tap, tap, tap. Their Pet has already jumped inside to test the sleeping bag.

Supper is a picnic on the grass. Cheese sandwiches, crunchy apples, and warm cocoa from the thermos. Grandpa puts one apple in his pocket. "We'll need this later," he says, and winks. Their Pet gets the crusts.

The sun sinks down behind the trees. The sky goes pink, then orange. "The sun goes down over there, in the west," says Grandpa. "Tonight, we'll look for the moon on the other side, in the east. Over the hill." Your child's name turns around to face the hill, and waits.

The sky turns from blue to dark blue to nearly black. The stars come out, one, then ten, then too many to count. But over the hill, there is no moon. "Where is it?" asks your child's name. Grandpa hums a little tune. "Let's find out."