Fairy Tale

Title: Many Moons

Author: James Thurber



About the Author: James Thurber was an American writer and artist. One of the most popular humorists (writers of clever humor) of his time, Thurber celebrated in stories and in cartoons the comic frustrations of eccentric yet ordinary people. James Thurber Biography

Age Level: 4-8

Synopsis: Princess Lenore is ill from eating too many raspberry tarts. She believes that having the moon will make her better. The King asks the Lord High Chamberlain, the Royal Wizard, and the Royal Mathematician to get the moon for Princess Lenore. They claim that there is no way to get her the moon and they try to keep her from seeing it at night. However, the clever Court Jester asks the princess about the moon and solves the problem.

Pre-Reading Activities: This book looks at a clever way of problem solving. It demonstrates a way of thinking outside of the box. How far away do you think the moon is? Do you think that you could get the moon? How would you get the moon? Why do you think the Court Jester asked the princess about the moon? How do you think they are going to solve the problem when the princess sees the moon? Discuss and make a list with the class of ways to solve problems. Allow and encourage students to ask questions.

Post-Reading Activities: Would you have done the same things that the King did? Who had the smartest idea? What do you think of Princess Lenore’s explanation about the moon? After the reading, students could discuss the extending questions in a small group discussion and create their own questions to share. Another activity might be to write a journal entry about wanting something that might be hard to get and how you would get it. They would also be required to write a picture to go along with their writing entry.

My Reflection: I really liked this book. I especially liked that it was a fairy tale. Usually fairy tales have some sort of clever solution in the ending. I loved how the Court Jester was clever enough to solve the problem in such a small way. It shows how children can solve a problem in a small way, and sometimes adults try to solve problems in a complicated way. I think that having students think of ways to solve problems gives them the necessary skills and tools for problem solving.

Barnes and Noble