Chanda Mama Counts the Stars: NCERT Class 3 Story (Santoor Chapter 11)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

Chanda Mama, the Moon, tries to count all the stars in the sky but keeps falling asleep. This gentle story has a beautiful ending that makes every child feel special. It is perfect for a bedtime chat about the night sky.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 3, unit “The Sky”. Chapter 11.

What your child learns

Using 'here' and 'there'
Things we can count and things too many to count
Words about the sky: moon, stars, clouds
Big numbers said aloud

What the story is about

Chanda Mama, the Moon, decides to count the stars. He counts higher and higher but falls asleep before he finishes. The Sun comes up, and when the Moon wakes in the evening, he has forgotten where he stopped. Night after night he tries again, and he keeps losing count.

One night he feels so upset that he starts to cry. The Sun sees his tears and smiles. The Sun tells him that there are as many stars in the sky as there are lovely children. Chanda Mama is happy. Now every night he comes out, looks at the stars and the children, and smiles.

New words, with Hindi meanings

count: to say numbers to find how many (हिंदी: गिनना)
yawn: to open your mouth wide when sleepy (हिंदी: जम्हाई लेना)
asleep: sleeping (हिंदी: सोया हुआ)
peeped: looked out a little (हिंदी: झाँका)
forgotten: not remembered (हिंदी: भूल गया)
upset: sad and worried (हिंदी: दुखी, परेशान)
tears: drops of water from the eyes when you cry (हिंदी: आँसू)
joyfully: in a very happy way (हिंदी: खुशी से)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What did Chanda Mama try to count?
Why could he never finish counting?
What did the Sun tell him?
What do you call the Moon in your home language?

Answers for parents

He tried to count the stars in the sky.
He fell asleep, and then he forgot where he had stopped.
The Sun said there are as many stars as there are lovely children.
For example: At home we call the Moon Chanda Mama.

Grammar corner: Using 'here' and 'there'

We use 'here' for things that are near us and 'there' for things that are far away. The Moon is there in the sky, and we are here on the Earth.

The stars are there, high in the sky.
Here is my torch for the dark night.
Chanda Mama looks down from there and smiles.

Practice at home

Fill in 'here' or 'there': My book is ___ in my hand.
Can be counted or too many to count? Fingers on your hand, hairs on your head
Fill in the blank: Chanda Mama cried and had ___ in his eyes.

Answers: 1. here · 2. Fingers: can be counted. Hairs: too many to count. · 3. tears

Try this

On a clear night, go out or look from a window and try to count the stars together in English. When the numbers get too big, laugh about it like Chanda Mama. During the day, play 'Here or there': point to near things and say 'here', and far things and say 'there'.

Tip for parents

Children already know Chanda Mama from Hindi songs, so start there. Sing a Chanda Mama song in Hindi, then tell the story in English in short bits. Count the stars in Hindi first and then in English, and praise your child for every English number they say.

Questions parents ask

What is the story Chanda Mama Counts the Stars about?

It is about the Moon, Chanda Mama, who tries every night to count the stars but keeps falling asleep or forgetting, until the Sun gives him a happy answer.

What did the Sun tell Chanda Mama?

The Sun said that the number of stars in the sky is the same as the number of lovely children.

Is Chanda Mama Counts the Stars in the new NCERT book?

It is in NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 3. It is Chapter 11, in Unit 4, The Sky.

Learn every Class 3 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and first writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →