And our June pick is...
Sea of Constellations by Melissa Cristina Márquez & Rocío Arreola Mendoza
June Pick -- Sea of Constellations
When the ocean goes dark, Maren the whale shark and her best friend, Remy the remora, set out to find answers and to provide light for those they encounter. With only the glow from the scales on her back, Maren & Remy set off on a great quest to cross the ocean & ask the Aztec goddess Huixtocihuatl about the darkness & bring back the light. Join Maren & Remy on their Rainbow Fish-esque journey as she helps those who need it most, exemplifying the power of sharing!
Meet Our Creators:
*Sourced from Melissa Cristina Márquez's website
Melissa Cristina Márquez, the mother of sharks, is a marine science education expert based in Australia. Originally from Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico, she has dedicated over a decade to advancing marine science education and communication. She says "Growing up, I never saw any women shark scientists, and I often questioned if my dream job was even attainable. It's a belief I hold close to my heart: representation matters. That's why my first TEDx talk, "Sharks and Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think," was so important to me. In it, I shed light on the reality of being a shark scientist and called out the media for failing to showcase diverse perspectives in the field. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of views flooded in within the first weeks alone. It was a humbling experience that reinforced the importance of speaking up and advocating for greater diversity and inclusion in science." When she is not filming for TV shows at sea, she leads diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in marine science, challenging norms through her publications and advisory roles. She is also the author of children's books, the Wild Survival series (three books) and Mother of Sharks (Madre de los Tiburones). You can find her work & learn more about her on her website: https://melissacmarquez.com/
Rocío Denisse Arreola Mendoza is a mother and freelance illustrator from North Mexico.
Co-founder of Cúrcumas Creative Studio she has worked with Matamoros City’s Government making any kind of commercial illustration for social media and printed campaigns. When she’s not working as a bee, she can be seen playing in the garden with her kid, husband and cats or brewing some tea. She has a new picture book coming out 2/18/25 called, Crack Goes the Cascarón: An Eggcellent Not-Just-For-Easter Shellebration! Be sure to preorder today!!
Below you will find our monthly craft; printable activity sheets; and our community outreach activity where we will be discussing how we can better protect our oceans within our homes & communities. For more books to read this month, don't forget to check out our perfect summer booklist about all things ocean:
We will be starting each of our book clubs off with Slumberkins! We're meeting a new Slumberkins friend this month, Narwhal. We will be reading one of Narwhal's stories -- Narwhal Uses Teamwork & each child will have the opportunity to help Narwhal clean up his community by putting trash/recyclables inside our big net to then sort later. We love Slumberkins as a tangible social emotional tool & resource to connect, reflect, practice, & grow. The plush creatures help make the lessons come to life as a physical representation of connection. Each creature comes with two books; (1) the introduction book which instills positive messages & core beliefs & (2) the lesson book which teaches kids how to practice emotional skill-building & to help develop empathy. To learn more about Slumberkins, check out the website below & if you're new to Slumberkins, use code MOSSKIDS for 15% off your first purchase! Plus your purchase helps us earn a small commission to buy new books!
We really hope you enjoy this month of book club as we try to keep our nationwide book club free & accessible for all. Each book is intentionally handpicked with each activity and outreach curated to engage and enrich our youth's experiences. Through these diverse and inclusive reads, working and playing together, and giving back to their own community, we hope to instill empathy, understanding, & kindness in our kids. If you didn't receive a copy of the book, don't fret. Email us at hello@mosskidsbooks.com for a virtual storytime reading of Sea of Constellations, read by our co-founder, Kara Cecchi.
Let's Craft: under the sea chalk/pastel art
Materials:
Sea creature template (see below)
Cardboard
Pencil
Scissors/tape
Black construction paper
Pastels/Chalk
Wipes (for clean up)
Black paint/paintbrushes & glitter/glue (more advanced kids)
Modifications:
With this craft, you can modify based on developmental level. We are working on our fine motor skills & bilateral coordination to trace around the template with one hand & using the other to hold down the paper. These skills transfer into hand-eye coordination using scissors, buttoning/unbuttoning, & listening to verbal instructions.
Easy: Prep the templates to start. Help child to trace around the outside. Allow child to free scribble. May need help removing the template.
Moderate: Prep the templates to start. Allow child to create independently. May need occasional assistance.
Hard: Allow child to create independently. Have child add background with black paint.
Instructions:
1. Gather materials. Download & print the template above.
2. Trace the template on light cardboard (think cereal boxes). This creates a thicker border. Or you can laminate the templates & cut them out.
3. Attach the template to the middle of the black construction paper.
*Tip: It is so much easier to trace & create when you lightly tape the template down on the paper.
4. Draw around the edges of the template. We used different shades of blue, green and a bit of white to draw around the edges of the template. Let the kids draw how they like with what colors they like, but encourage them to make sure the edges of the silhouettes are completely covered.
5. Now this is the fun part. To make the colorful background, use your finger to smudge the colors outwards. This will make it look like your sea animal is passing in front of the sun and the rays are shining outwards to the edges of the picture.
6. Repeat until you get the background you like.
7. Gently remove the masking tape, trying your best not to tear the black paper underneath. Blow or brush away any soft pastel residue that got underneath the template. You can also use a damp cloth if you’re very careful.
8. For older children: Use black paint to decorate the edges of the picture with rocks, seaweed, coral & other sea creatures (see example below). This will aid with the illusion of looking up towards the sky from the bottom of the ocean floor.
optional Craft: Sea creature constellations
Materials:
Sea creature templates (same template above)
Star stickers
Black construction paper
White crayon/colored pencil
Modifications:
With this craft, we know that some of our little friends will not love the tactile stimulation that comes with the chalk/pastels so we developed an optional craft. Some friends may need assistance with setup. Some friends may need multiple verbal cues. Some friends may be able to complete independently.
Instructions:
1. Gather materials. Print & cut out template. Allow child to choose which creature constellation they would like to create.
2. Have child put their template in the middle of their black construction paper. If they are not yet able to hold the template down while they do the activity, you can tape down their template.
3. Add a star sticker just outside the template. See above. Do not place the sticker on the template at all as you will be removing the template when you are done. Add a star sticker every couple of inches along the outside of the template.
4. After stickering around the entire template, connect the stickers with white crayon/colored pencil tracing around the sea creature.
5. Once the tracing is complete, remove the template.
For our littlest readers:
Make gel sensory bags! You just need a gallon ziplock bag, hair gel, plastic stars, glitter, food coloring & ducktape. Put hair gel, plastic stars, food coloring & glitter into the bag. Get all the excess air out of the bag & close. Tape each side of the bag to prevent leakage. Let them play!
Remember: After you are done reading the book (if you received a copy from us!) & making your crafts, please have your kids sign the library card located in the front of the book (first names only!). Let's bring back a little bit of fun from our childhood. Also, please donate your book to your local public library, to your school library, or to a little free library in your area so more kids can enjoy a new diverse & inclusive read.
printable activity sheets:
We have created coloring pages for each of the underwater creatures we meet on Maren & Remy's journey to meet the Aztec Goddess. Download below.
We've also included the Slumberkins Narwhal activity kit, which includes a how-to-draw our friend Narwhal, a coloring sheet, counting, a dot-to-dot & so much more. Download below.
Community Outreach: help protect our oceans
This month we are learning more about ocean conservation & what we can do at home & in our communities to help protect the oceans. To help us adults understand a little more, we recommend reading this quick explainer on Marine Conservation Issues by our author, Melissa Cristina Márquez, who is a marine biologist! With the kids, we plan to focus on overfishing, climate change, & habitat destruction.
Overfishing: The act of harvesting fish from the ocean at a rate that exceeds the ability of fish populations to replenish themselves naturally. Essentially, it occurs when fish are caught faster than they can reproduce. Because of the heightened demand for seafood with population growth & dietary preferences, advancements in fishing technologies and gear lead to higher catch rates and intensified fishing pressure on target species. Regulation & enforcing of fishing activities isn't up to par to protect these fish & allow for repopulation naturally. Our growing awareness & support for sustainably sourced seafood can help drive demand for responsible fishing practices and contribute to the conservation of marine resources.
Climate Change: Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional and global climates. Climate change amplifies (makes worse) extreme weather events like hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons, directly impacting costal communities & our ocean life below. These events bring storm surges, heavy rainfall, and strong winds, causing habitat destruction, coral bleaching, sedimentation, and pollution runoff -- all which lead to long-term ecological damage and loss of biodiversity. Bad news. We can make a difference by remaining educated & educating others on what's going on. Speaking up & speaking out can bring even more awareness & the need for change.
Habitat Destruction: The degradation, alteration, or loss of natural habitats underwater due to human activities. What habitats? Those like coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, salt marshes, and deep-sea ecosystems. All where our sea friends live & thrive. This occurs through coastal development (like port construction and dredging), pollution (oil spills and marine debris contaminates), overfishing, climate change, invasive species introduction, and natural disasters. We can reduce our waste, recycle, make sustainable choices, reduce our pollutants (vehicle pollution, chemical pollution) & pick up our trash, especially when visiting beaches.
This graphic is great for kids & simplifies ways you can help at home & in your communities:
We're also reading We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom & Michaela Goade to help us understand why we need to protect our waters & how important water is to us all. Most local libraries have a copy of this book. If not, watch this PBS Kids Storytime with the author, Carole Lindstrom! There is a great activity kit from MacMillan Kids that goes great with this community outreach activity including an Earth Steward & Water Protector Pledge for each kid to sign!
Please do not skip this activity. We truly believe this outreach activity is a vital part of childhood & an opportunity to raise kind kids. Teaching our youth the importance of community. A community that can help create more empathetic, accepting kids who understand that power of coming together. To learn the importance of protecting our waters. To protecting the ocean's creatures. And how they can make an impact within their own homes & communities.
YAY! Another MOSS Kids Book Club pick, craft, printable sheet, and community outreach activity. We would love to see when you receive your books and all the under the sea pastel art your kids create. You do not need to share kid's faces. Please be sure to tag us on Instagram @mosskidsbooks & use #mosskidsbookclub. Sharing about MOSS Kids Book Club is a way for your community to learn more about what MOSS Kids has to offer & for them to know where they can find the book you're donating. By doing so, we can reach & help more kids across the country. We'd also love to hear any feedback you may have, please email us at hello@mosskidsbooks.com. We appreciate you all so much for taking the initiative to bring kids together to read diverse books & hopefully learn vital life skills to help make our world a better place.
A book club change is coming...
Stay tuned. If you would like to stay up to date with all our plans to enhance our book club:
Don't Forget: We Have Local moss kids book club locations in eastern north Carolina!!
Sunday, 6/9 at 2pm: Storytime in the Garden with Freedom Org during their community workday at the East Tarboro Community Garden
Tuesday, 6/11 at 11am: MOSS Kids Book Club at Elm City Branch Library in Elm City
Saturday 6/15: Rocky Mount Juneteenth Community Empowerment Festival (we will provide an update with more information asap)
Wednesday, 6/19: Tarboro-Edgecombe's Juneteenth Festival (we'll be handing out books & hosting a special storytime)
Saturday, 6/22: Out! Raleigh Pride with our friends from Drag Story Hour & LGBT Center of Raleigh for readings & crafts all day
Monday, 6/24 at 430pm: MOSS Kids Book Club at Wilson County Public Library in Wilson
Saturday, 6/29 at 10am: MOSS Kids Book Club with Drag Story Hour at Boxyard RTP with reader queen, Stormie Daie
Sunday, 6/30 at 2pm: MOSS Kids Book Club at Larema Coffee House in Rocky Mount
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