When You’re Going To The Moon, by Sasha Beekman and Vivienne To

I can tell we will be reading When You’re Going To The Moon a lot. It has captured the heart of my 2 year old, and he will finish one reading and demand to have it read again straight away. Luckily I really like it too. 

It is a sweet story about a space-obsessed little girl who has grand dreams of going to the moon. After emptying her bag of all the useless item she won’t need, she makes sure to pack all the things she will need: a kazoo, an inflatable moose and her blanket. She then bravely begins her ascent via the tallest ladder she can find. 

The story is simple enough that even a 2 year old can enjoy it, but there is also a very well veiled lesson about striving to achieve personal goals. Sometimes we need to shed all the things that will hold us back and then make sure we have all the things that will assist us. We need to be persistent and brave and willing to forfeit things that might distract us (like dinner).

The illustrations are really terrific, the more I read the book, the more I love the pictures. The colours are beautiful and the main character has lots of personality and spunk. The text is sweet and my 6 year old could tackle most of it on her own. 

It is also really nice to see a kids picture book with a female lead character who has a hobby or interest that is often depicted as masculine. It gives girls permission to be space-y or science-y. 

I’m going to go out on a limb a say this might just make the CBCA short list for next year. I really think it is a great book.  

If you’re still on the hunt for a special gift for the 2-8 year old in your life, consider this one.