A Brief History of the Moon
by
Matt Zurbo
I love the moon.
(Image of the moon, full and proud.)
I know it has no light of its own, that it is just reflecting the sun…
But it makes the world a beautiful silver-grey.
They say dingos and wolves are simply howling to talk to each other. I still like to think they’re howling at the moon.
(As described)
Its life started with the Earth’s I guess. The Big Bang!
An explosion from which the universe is still expanding!
(Bilious galaxies.)
The gas from the explosions formed into stars, and, around them, planets.
(Our solar System forming.)
And, with all this crashing and bashing, the moon was made!
Some say it was formed 4.5 billion years ago, when the Earth was still lava and an asteroid as big as Mars hit, knocking a huge piece off!
(As described.)
The moon is a large piece of the Earth? Sometimes it’s hard to even imagine that.
(Kid, in a field, by camp fire, looking up at moon and starts.)
Ours is not the only moon. Poor Mercury and Venus have none.
But Jupiter has at least 72 moons!
Image it!
(Image of Jupiter and various moons.)
Some even have ice oceans…
(Image of Europa. Io and Ganymede behind it.)
and maybe life.
Our moon isn’t jealous, though.
We need it!
(Moon in clouds over container ship in rough seas.)
Life needs movement to exist!
(Moon behind owl catching mouse.)
Billions of years ago, after the Earth formed, oceans grew. The gravity of the moon created tides, pulling the water back and forwards. That helped make life!
(The moon over huge waves and rocky outcrops.)
And the moon slowed the spinning of the Earth. It made the weather constant. Between that and the tides, everything was just right for humans to evolve!
(Chimp swinging, moon in background.)
Then, throughout history, as humanity grew, there were the moon gods!
Selene
(Moon Goddess, in Greek robes, pulling moon with horse and chariot.)
Bahloo
(Aborigine with white body paint and arms out, a snake around each, and a third around his neck, walking into water, with the moon behind him.)
Thoth
(Ancient Egyptian dressed and with Ibis head, a book in one hand, a sand timer in the other, a crescent moon behind it, surrounded by hieroglyphics.)
Thousands of them…
(Various moon gods from various cultures over top of Stonehenge.)
We sung songs about it.
(Cat and the Fiddle, man in the moon, moon dragon swimming through moon dust.)
And said it was made of cheese.
(Rocket crashed into its eye.)
Then… science!
(Astronaut’s boot stepping onto the moon.)
“This is not cheese…” they announced.
(Astronaut walking on the moon, lunar lander behind him, Earth in background.)
It’s dead rock.
And spinning away from us at a mighty 1.6 inches a year!
(Kids arms reaching out to edge of moon.)
Yet, the adventure continues!
We now know there’s water on the moon’s poles. There might yet be life…!
And we have yet to visit its dark side.
Maybe the cheese is there…
(A man-in-the-moon, mostly hidden in shadows, standing on the line between the moon’s day and night.)
And it still waits for us every night.
(Huge full moon rising over horizon, of houses and trees.)
If you stare at it’s face, the face still stares at you.
(Kid looking up at moon.)
Even now, it pulls at our moods.
The lost roam under it…
(Man walking down Scottish country road.)
People sing to it.
(Fisherman on end of pier, in wets, singing to moon as he fishes.)
dance under it!
(Gypsy woman dancing by a fire, under the moon.)
Fall in love…
(African couple walking hand in hand.)
I am in love… with the moon, the power of its light.
(Kid walking on forest floor, looking very small, surrounded by towering tree trunks, with streaks of moonlight coming through.)
The way it streaks through black night clouds, gently touching my skin.
(Side-on of kid in pyjamas, room dark, small smile, looking up through bedroom window, face lit by unseen moon.)
The End
365 kids books in 365 days 