Sometimes Moon
“Sometimes Moon is a half circle with a dip n the middle-like Mama’s knitting basket.”
“Sometimes Moon” by Carole Lexa Schaefer is a story about the phases of the moon as a little girl relates it to the rituals she experiences with her family. Each phase is connected to a family member in some meaningful way, culminating in a Full Moon family picnic.
At first glance, this book reads simply as a book about moon phases. However, when we pay attention to clues given in pages beyond or before the story, the context of a book is better understood, which was the case with this book. It turns out, this story is also about Full Moon Festivals held in Greece, which is connected to Greek mythology.
How did we find this out? Well, we were curious about why Selene’s family would have a picnic during the full moon and if that family tradition had any history. The research began when we noticed that this book was dedicated to Schaefer’s friends on the island of Kefallonia in Greece. Could Selene’s family be Greek? Is there something special about the connection between the full moon and Greece? Yes!
On the day of the August full moon, archaeological sites throughout Greece stay open well after midnight, and entrance is free. Many festivities including singing, dancing, musical performances, poetry reading, with food and wine flowing, are held under the light of the moon at about a hundred archaeological sites and museums all over Greece.
The full moon in August is known as the sturgeon moon, owing to a large number of fish found around this time. In the story, Grandpapa is preparing his fishing net which is an allusion to this particular time of year. Viewed in the Northern hemisphere, the full moon of August is low on the horizon, which gives the illusion that you could reach out and touch it - just as Selene does at the end of the story. Selene’s own name means “moon” and connects to Selene, Titan Goddess of the moon in Greek mythology.
All this is to say that when reading and selecting books for our children, doing the research is important. Now that we know about the context of this story, reading it again becomes more magical as we connect the subtle details to what we’ve learned about Greek culture. This is a wonderful practice to engage in with your young readers. A book is the beginning of a discussion and offers us learning opportunities well after the story is completed. Read all the pages and read again.
Teachers
Take time to teach your children the parts of the book beyond the story. Asking questions about the creators, reading the author’s notes and dedication pages are just as important as the story itself. This is perfect for supporting repeated read-aloud lessons and serves as a method for showing students how to conduct critical research of a text.
Some Things to Think About…
Discussion questions:
What do you know about Greek mythology? Why do you think we still tell stories about people in mythology like Hercules and Zeus today?
What clues do we have in this story that Selene’s family might be Greek?
In what ways is your family like Selene’s? In what ways is it different?
Activity idea:
Next time there is a full moon, make a point to go outside and witness it. From that day on, try to draw what you see happening to the shape of the moon as nights pass. What do you notice? You could use these drawings to create your own lunar calendar!
