Always An Ally

Day and night, if the sky is clear, it is there to be seen.  It is white against a brilliant blue sky in early evening or at morning's beginning.  Against the night's darkness, it glows white, golden yellow, orange and sometimes red, depending on the time of year, atmosphere or its location.  Shapes and sizes shift during its monthly cycle.

It is a constant companion to Earth and all living things on the planet.  Moon!: Earth's Best Friend (Henry Holt and Company, June 11, 2019) written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis) is a lively, informative discussion by and about our natural satellite.  It's the third book in the Our Universe series; Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years (Henry Holt and Company, October 24, 2017) and Sun!: One In A Billion (Henry Holt and Company, October 23, 2018) are the first two titles.  What new fun, fantastic moon facts will we learn?

Look up.  Look up! LOOK UP!
It's me.  Moon!
I'm Earth's best friend.

Moon takes us back, back, back to the beginning.  When Earth was new, a huge rock (think planet size) crashed into us.  The debris from this collision, some 4.5 billion years ago, became Moon.    Twenty-seven point three days pass for Moon to circle Earth once and for Moon to spin around once.  Did you know we always see the same side of the moon?  Can you name the eight phases of the moon?

Moon is the only Moon but there are other moons attached to other planets.  Our moon ranks fifth in size.  Even though Earth and Moon are permanent pals, Earth is larger giving her a greater gravitational pull.  Moon averages about 238,855 miles from Earth.

Even at that distance Moon keeps Earth in balance and controls our high and low tides twice a day.  Moon has bragging rights in the entire universe about contact with humans . . . men.  Some footprints are still there, along with items left there by visitors.  Nail clippers?

During eclipses the Earth and Moon take turns hiding and shadowing.  Day and night determine the type of eclipse, solar or lunar.  One of the most important truths Moon wants us to remember is Moon is always there.  We can take comfort in this whether Moon is visible or not.

Moon's charming conversations through words with Stacy McAnulty focus on a friendship formed from nearly the beginning of Earth's existence.  As each virtue of Moon's contributions to this relationship is revealed, little asides define terminology.  Humor is evident as the narrative compares the weight of a cow on Earth to the weight of a cow on the moon and continues with a commentary about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and the distance between the Earth and Moon.  Each cheery observation is presented with satisfaction and loyalty.  Here is a passage.

BFFs help each other out.

I keep Earth from being too wobbly.
This might be the most important thing I do,
and you probably didn't even know about it!  


When you look at the open dust jacket, one of the first things you notice is the happy disposition of Moon.  Placed in a starry sky, Moon is content and proud to be Earth's best friend.  To the left, on the back, the background continues.  Moon is waving at us from the lower, left-hand corner.  Above Moon text provides an introduction to the book.  Covers of the two previous titles with a starred review quote are also included.  Portions of the images and text are varnished.

On the open book case, the back, on the left, is identical.  On the front Moon is much closer.  A portion of her right side moves off the case.  Moon's left arm is raised toward Moon's smiling mouth.  The opening and closing endpapers are a pale dusty blue.  On the dedication page Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis and Moon have statements.  Moon's appearance on the title page looks as though secrets are about to be shared.

Rendered using

colored pencils and digital tools

the illustrations by Stevie Lewis alternate between full-page and double-page pictures.  Regardless of their size, each element contributes to the sheer delight Moon conveys in telling us about the friendship with Earth.  If what we are told is less than happy news, an emotion is appropriately presented. Earth looks a little worried by all the man-made satellites zooming around her.  This is followed by Moon in three different positions around Earth chatting about facts while swirling colorful celebratory ribbons.

Readers will find that the images heighten the narrative.  In the portion about cows, nursery rhymes, jumping and distance, the humor of the words is depicted in multiple cows in space wearing helmets.  When showing how Earth would function without Moon's gravity, Earth looks like she's been on a merry-go-round too long.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Earth is centered on either side of the gutter in a starry sky.  Around Earth are the eight phases of Moon.  The text reads:

But you probably noticed I look different every night.
Fun, right?

Check out
my PHASES!

For each phase Stevie Lewis gives Moon a new facial expression.  The phases are labeled, and one contains a fun fact.


This new entry in an engaging, entertaining and enlightening series, Moon!: Earth's Best Friend written by Moon (with Stacy McAnulty) and illustrated by Moon (and Stevie Lewis), is fabulous.  Moon's point of view in describing attributes of this perpetual union makes this book a stellar choice for a space, planet, Earth, Moon or bedtime themes.  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without a copy of this title.  At the close of the book is a short author's note to Fellow Moon Gazers, a Two Truths and a Myth with Moon, Moon by the Numbers, All in a Name (different kinds of moons) and Sources.

To learn more about Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Stacy McAnulty has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Stevie Lewis has accounts on Instagram and Tumblr.  I believe you will find this interview of Stevie Lewis on She Explores very interesting and also this one at 24 Carrot Writing.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.


You'll want to take a few moments to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge by visiting Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator, Alyson Beecher.

By The Light Of The...

It happens again in seventeen days.  Every living thing around the world waits in anticipation.  Unlike so many variables in our day to day lives, it's dependable and predictable.  It wields an influence that is undeniable.

Classical music, song lyrics, artwork and photographs all pay tribute to Earth's satellite in its many phases but a full moon casts a spell over our planet.  If You Were the Moon (Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., March 1, 2017) written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Jaime Kim presents fascinating features about this celestial body.  When it shines its brightest next, you will gaze upon it with increased understanding and respect.

Helloooooooooo up there, Moon!  I'm sooooooo tired.

A big, bright full moon shines in a little girl's window.  She believes the moon does nothing at all and that's exactly what she wants to do.  The Moon replies in fourteen melodic sentences when linked together make a beautiful ode.  Each line leads to an explanation of the importance of the moon and its role in her life.

The moon really is a chip off the old block having been formed when a large meteorite struck Earth billions of years ago.  Its presence keeps Earth steady enough so temperatures don't shift to the extreme.  We never see the dark side of the moon because spin speeds of the moon's axis and orbit are identical.

You'd be filled with craters too if space rocks were constantly hitting your surface.  We see different parts of the moon because of its position in relation to Earth and the sun.  Do you know why the moon casts light?

Our oceans rise and fall on tides dictated by the moon's gravity.  The moon signals a multitude of animals to begin their nocturnal activities.  The only two places in space humans have walked are planet Earth and the moon.  On May 10, 2017, our next full moon, remember to offer thanks for it doing much more than nothing.


Knitting poetic phrases together with facts Laura Purdie Salas has fashioned a nonfiction narrative which evokes the same sensory experience as the moon does upon the world.  It's as if a full moon is lighting the way as we read her words.  She brings the story full circle with the little girl wide awake and soothed to sleep at the end.  Here is one of the phrases with supporting information.

Light a pathway to the sea.

When sea turtle eggs hatch onshore, the hatchlings instinctively scurry toward the brightest light.  That is usually moonlight sparkling on the ocean, calling the tiny turtles to their home in the sea.


The scene depicted on the opened, matching dust jacket and book case is like stepping into the marvelous, magical quiet of a full moon night.  It flawlessly extends over the spine with more grass, shrubs, and tree trucks stretching into the inky blackness with a few stars.  You know the girl and Moon have a special connection.  It looks as though they are about to start a conversation.  The pair of owls completes an excellent design.

The opening and closing endpapers are the same shade of color as the author and illustrator text.  One of the charming interior images is used on the title page.  The illustrations throughout rendered in acrylic paint and digital techniques by Jaime Kim each span two pages; one for each poetic phrase.  The darkness is softened by the light of the moon.

Altered perspectives showcase the narrative and supply pacing.  The facial expression on the moon and Earth heighten the kinship between the two.  Kim's interpretation of the text is wonderful; the moon's orbit extending into hands holding Earth steady, a series of ballerinas spinning on an axis, and throwing sunlight on Earth.  The elements she includes and the emphasis she places on them is outstanding.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is the explanation of the moon's gravity.  Beneath the star studded sky is the vast ocean.  Eyes closed as if in concentration the smiling moon is placed on the right side, filling half of the page.  To the left a whale breaches.  It's easy to imagine the quiet of the night broken by the splash.


No matter how many times you read If You Were the Moon written by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Jaime Kim you will feel like it's the first time.  The combination of the poetic phrases and pictures along with the informative text makes the experience of reading this book a sensation for your senses.  A short glossary and suggestions for further reading are included on the last page.  I believe this title should be placed on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Laura Purdie Salas and Jaime Kim and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  At Laura Purdie Salas's website there are resources for teachers for this title.  Laura is interviewed about this title here.  Jaime Kim has Tumblr pages.   You can learn more about Jaime at Painted Words.  Jaime Kim was a guest at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast in 2014.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website.