[starcatcher (Alicia)]

Hi Guys! I'm brand new to the forum-I hope I've posted this in the right section-
Firstly-WOW what an amazing site you guys have, I'm thrilled to have stumbled across it!
My dilemma-our little five year old desperately wants a telescope for her 6th birthday! Her grandpa is a pilot and she is fascinated by what is in the sky and beyond...
Where in heavens name do I begin? Although both my husband and I are extremely interested in learning about astronomy, we are complete novices and the research I have done on the net suggests NOT to go into a department store (i was going into Aus Geographic to purchase one prior!). The advice indicates that I will not get a decent product for the amount I have to spend. I stumbled across another thread from awhile ago with a similar theme to mine and there was a lot of talk about 6 and 8 inch dobs, when I searched those terms in google I came across these funny looking telescopes which weren't what I was expecting at all! I found the skywatcher telescopes (which do look like a traditional telescope) but the base model (the one I can JUST afford) apparently only sees the moon clearly and has difficulty in seeing the planets (something my little one is fascinated in seeing).
Quite frankly I don't know where to start, what to do or who to ask-which is why I'm thrilled to have come across your forums!
Any advice will be greatly appreciated, as you can imagine, I am thrilled I have a child who is interested in this and not asking for a Nintendo wii or DS for their birthday, I would like to encourage this interest in her!
Many thanks in advance,
Starcatcher.