The Moon Is a Ball
Stories of Panda & Squirrel
Join Panda and Squirrel in nine funny, wise and thoughtful stories about the meaning of friendship by two world greats of children’s literature. Perfect for emerging readers.
Panda and Squirrel have an unbreakable friendship. They can’t live without each other and do everything together: lie on the rocks to look at the moon, take walks, play games. One of their journeys lasts for only two steps, another day they discover a newly hatched duckling. Sometimes they argue but they always make up again. This is a friendship for any day: roaring, quiet, grumbling, snoring…always.
This beautiful hardback storybook, with full-color illustrations throughout, features down-to-earth and warm-hearted friendship stories that reach straight from the soul of one six-year-old to another. Perfect for emerging readers or for reading aloud together, it’s a book to read again and again.
Written by Ed Franck, one of Belgium’s most important and innovative children’s writers, and illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing, a world-leading illustrator for children, whose many accolades include nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Translated from the Dutch edition by David Colmer.
Praise for The Moon is a Ball
“. . . ©aptivating text, ideal for reading aloud. . .”—The New York Times
“As Franck models charming rapport and low-stakes companionship, Tjong-Khing’s delicate artwork provides nature-filled scenes of glorious suns and a bamboo forest.”—Publishers Weekly
“Full of heart and gentle humor, Panda and Squirrel are sure to please.” —Booklist
“Striking artwork and sweet, funny stories about friendship make The Moon Is a Ball an amusing addition to the philosophical friends genre, alongside Winnie-the-Pooh and Frog and Toad Are Friends.”—Shelf Awareness
“Families who love short, illustrated fiction featuring animals, such as The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham or Ulf Nilsson’s Detective Gordon series.”—Youth Services Book Review
“Enjoyable.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[An] upbeat, curiosity-inducing early reader.”—Foreword Reviews
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
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978-1-77657-493-3
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$14.99 | |
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978-1-77657-494-0
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$24.99 |
Author: Ed Franck
Ed Franck is one of Belgium’s most important and innovative children’s writers. He writes for all ages and in all genres: from songs for toddlers to YA novels, detective stories, and poetry. He has twice won the prestigious Cultuurprijs of the Flemish Community for Youth Literature.
Illustrator: Thé Tjong-Khing
Thé Tjong-Khing was born in Indonesia and moved to the Netherlands as a young man, where he drew comics in the studio of a celebrated Dutch cartoonist. Now a world-leading illustrator for children, he has received many prizes including the Max Velthuijs Prize for his life’s work in 2010 and nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!
The Moon Is a Ball
Join Panda and Squirrel in nine funny, wise and thoughtful stories about the meaning of friendship by two world greats of children’s literature. Perfect for emerging readers. Panda and Squirrel have an unbreakable friendship. They can’t live without each… View available downloads →
The 2024 ALA Youth Media Awards Afterglow
There’s no better way to start the year than with American Library Association’s presentation of the 2024 Youth Media Awards! A hearty congratulations to all ALA award winners. Monday was all about dancing in the street and shouting from the rooftops, but today… View →
Awards
- USBBY Outstanding International Books List
- CBC Favorite Award
- Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2024
Reviews
The New York Times
“. . . ©aptivating text, ideal for reading aloud. . .”—The New York Times
Booklist
“Full of heart and gentle humor, Panda and Squirrel are sure to please.”—Booklist
Publishers Weekly
“As Franck models charming rapport and low-stakes companionship, Tjong-Khing’s delicate artwork provides nature-filled scenes of glorious suns and a bamboo forest.”—Publishers Weekly
Shelf Awareness
“Striking artwork and sweet, funny stories about friendship make The Moon Is a Ball an amusing addition to the philosophical friends genre, alongside Winnie-the-Pooh and Frog and Toad Are Friends.”—Shelf Awareness
Foreword Reviews
“[An] upbeat, curiosity-inducing early reader.”—Foreword Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
“[T]he tales, translated from Dutch, are enjoyable and will hold readers’ attention. Low-key friends and not-too-dramatic adventures can be enough sometimes.”—Kirkus Reviews