Hello, friends! Our book today is If You Had Your Birthday Party On The Moon, written by Joyce Lapin and illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli, an imaginative “what-if” for the ultimate destination celebration.

If you had your birthday party on the moon, you’d have your pick of unique birthday experiences: the day would last 709 hours, for one. You would get to experience weightlessness on the trip there, bounce around in 1/6 the gravity of earth, make “moondust-angels”, and dine on chocolate pudding cake from a pouch. With a focus on the science of astronomy and astronautics, the text takes the reader through detailed explanations of why the sky would be black rather than blue, why they wouldn’t be able to hear their guests singing happy birthday, and why playing baseball on the moon may be a little time-consuming – yet why a birthday party on the moon would be an adventure like no other.

Awesome! Lapin’s theoretical text does an amazing job of making the scientific concepts she explains accessible by cleverly framing it around familiar experiences; she uses things like piñatas and gymnastics to explain low gravity, and subtly weaves in the idea that party-goers would have plenty of time to revel on the three-day trips to and from the moon. Insets with more information, facts, and statistics give a more in-depth look without dragging the story down, also a smart choice. The illustrations are wonderful, populating majestic moonscapes with a pleasantly diverse cast of kids whose joy is practically palpable. The length may be better suited to older kids, but JJ sat through the main story and loved the illustrations. A wonderful imagining that succeeds in bringing STEM to life and adds birthday cake; who could resist? Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)