Mae and the Moon - Tapa dura

Mae is in awe of the night sky and considers the moon her constant companion--particularly for playing

games of hide-and-seek. Over time, she observes the moon changing, becoming thinner, until one night it

disappears altogether. Although Mae's mom assures her that "even moons need to rest," Mae builds a

cardboard rocket in order to find her lunar friend. Soon though, the moon reappears and all ends well.

Appealing pencil and digital paint illustrations make use of a dark-hued palette of purple, black, indigo,

and blue to effectively convey the nighttime setting, against which Mae, her dog, and the moon appear as

bright spots. The illustrations are in perfect harmony with the minimal text, carrying the story through

several wordless sequences and capturing Mae's sense of wonder. Gigot's debut is especially appropriate

for a quiet bedtime story, but it would also work well in the classroom as a mini lesson for the phases of

the moon, as each moon phase is pictured and identified on the final pastedown.

-- Randall Enos

http: //www.booklistonline.com/Mae-and-the-Moon-Jami-Gigot/pid=7532669

Mae loves playing hide-and-seek with the moon each night, but she becomes worried when she notices it is waning away into darkness. The endearing young astronomer embarks on a mission to find her luminous friend, and the ease of Gigot's clear, flowing narrative and night-hued illustrations propel her wondrous journey along. Everything, even the silky quality of the paper, makes this gentle story a perfect bedtime read. Ages two and up.