Educational Activities: Mending the Moon by Emma Pearl

Mending the Moon
Author: Emma Pearl
Illustrator: Sara Ugolotti
1 November 2022
Page Street Publishing
32 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “One fateful night, the moon shines so big and so bright that it is too heavy to hold itself up in the sky. When it tumbles down and breaks into many glimmering pieces, Luna sees the whole thing. Her grandfather Poppa warns that without the moon in the sky, the oceans will stop moving and the earth will start to wobble. Luna and Poppa must mend it, but they may not be able to do it all on their own.

The mountain is alive with creatures big and small whose watchful eyes also saw the moon fall. Together, can they find all the shards, stick them together, and get the moon safely back into the sky?

In this enchanting tale with a timeless, folklore feel, a girl, her grandfather, and all the animals of the mountain hold the power to set the world right and forever leave their mark on the moon.”


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Educational Activities inspired by Mending the Moon:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • What do you think of when you think about the moon?
    • What’s different about the moon on the front and back cover?
    • Where and when does this story seem to take place?
    • What does it mean to “mend” something?
    • What questions would you like to ask the author before you read the book?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What do you think caused the moon to shatter?
    • The moon is more important than you can imagine,” says Poppa. Why?
    • The child’s name is “Luna.” Why might that be an especially appropriate name?
    • What did you think of the book’s ending?
    • Have you ever seen moon smudges before?
    • Which picture did you like the most? Why?
    • Did you like this book? Why/​why not?
  • Drawing–How do you like the illustrations of the moon? Does it look like what YOU think the moon looks like? Use colored pencils, crayons, or markers to create your own moon art for this story or simply to be art all on its own. Is the moon broken or whole in your art? Does it have smudges or not? Consider sharing your work with a friend or family member.
  • Crafting–Since the moon plays such a big role in this story, let’s enjoy some moon crafts! (For those of you who enjoyed last month’s moon-​themed crafts, these are all new ones!) 
  • Further Reading–Learn more about the moon by reading these related books. Which of these have you already read? Which of the others would you want to read first? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)