If You Were the Moon - Hardcover

Salas, Laura Purdie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 146778009X ISBN 13: 9781467780094

Publisher: Millbrook Press (Tm), 2017

Synopsis

What would you do if you were the moon? Do you think you would rest quietly in the night sky? Oh, no. The moon does so much more than you might imagine! It spins like a twilight ballerina, plays tug-of-war with the ocean, and lights a pathway for baby sea turtles. Discover the many other roles the moon plays in this whimsical and lyrical picture book.

About this title

Review:

"'Helloooooooooo up there, Moon!' Lunar information is presented with charming artwork in this factual presentation for younger readers. A tired child looks out the window and tells the moon she wishes she could 'do exactly nothing, just like you.' A personified moon counters her statement with facts about the moon's origin; its gravity, which steadies the Earth; its 27-day rotation around the Earth; the various phases during its orbit; and how it 'catches' light from the sun. And that's not to mention how its gravity creates high and low tides, and how moonlight has inspired artists and is celebrated in festivals all over the world. Simple poetic text on each double-page spread includes more details in parentheses, so children can enjoy luminous illustrations while acquiring knowledge. Kim's paintings in acrylic with digital techniques show a shimmering moon with personality--smiling as she awakens nocturnal animals, teases the Earth with peekaboo, and casts a spell over its observers. Back matter includes a glossary and suggestions for further reading. Appealing for classroom and story hours."--Booklist

--Website

"In this inventive and spirited exploration, poetry and science come together to introduce young readers to the role of the moon in our lives here on Earth. The book opens on a young, light-skinned girl reading in bed; there's a telescope next to it. She looks out at the moon and says, 'I wish I could do exactly nothing, just like you.' The personified moon answers back, offering poetic sentiments that note the several overlooked benefits and often misunderstood facts about our partner in space. The spare primary text is supplemented by blocks of text, set in a smaller font, that explicate it. (For scientific clarity, the illustrations and tidbits were guided and reviewed for accuracy by an astrophysicist.) The text moves through the phases of the moon, then into the role that the moon plays in the ocean tides, along to the world of moonlit nocturnal animals, and finally rounds out with the ways that the moon has been tied into world cultures, including the moon masks of the Baule people of the Ivory Coast and Emily Dickinson. Each illustration is tinged with starlight, making the book a pleasant nighttime read. It's also apt for the classroom, as the glossary supports an introductory astronomy lesson. Orbiting between poetic lullaby and astro-powered essentials, Salas and Kim provide a great addition to a nighttime-window reading shelf and/or early-science classroom."--Kirkus Reviews

--Journal

"On one level this is a bedtime story about the moon, but on another it's an introduction to the science of astronomy. The left side of each spread relates the simple tale of a girl going to bed, who chides the moon for 'doing exactly nothing.' The moon responds using playful analogies, inviting children to imagine its activities. If you were the moon, you would 'hover near your mother' and 'play dodgeball with space rocks.' You would 'catch and throw. Catch and throw' (a reference to the moon's glow being caused by light 'caught' from the sun and 'thrown' back to Earth). The right side of each spread offers a scientific explanation of lunar phenomenon, such as cycles and gravity, or glimpse of how humans and animals experience the moon. Hatching sea turtles move toward moonlight; farmers around the world use moon phases to plan crops. The luminous cover illustration, evoking the moon's glow in the evening sky, will have hands reaching for this book. Deeply saturated illustrations, created with acrylic paint and digital techniques, capture the mystique of the moon at night and make this title satisfying to gaze upon, even for little ones who may not yet grasp some of the more abstract concepts. VERDICT This selection can be appreciated on many different levels, making it both a wonderful bedtime read and a versatile early science resource for young children in group settings."--School Library Journal

--Journal

About the Author:

Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 130 books for kids, including If You Were the Moon, Water Can Be . . ., and Bookspeak! Poems about Books. Poetry and rhyming nonfiction books are her favorite things to write. Laura loves to do author visits, writing workshops, and teacher inservices. Read more about Laura and her work at laurasalas.com.

Jaime Kim was born South Korea and moved to the US when she was eighteen. Her favorite things are the sun, moon, and stars--which is why they always creep into her artwork. She lives in North Carolina.

About this edition

• Publisher: Millbrook Press (Tm)
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 146778009X
• ISBN 13: 9781467780094
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Kim Jaime