Meet Me at the Moon

PreS-Gr 1—Full of luminous paintings and vibrant color, this book is instantly appealing; however, the art outshines the weak plot. Two African elephants find each other with the "calling song," beautifully depicted as a floating stream of bits of color emanating from the animals' trunks. Mama tells Little One that she must travel to the mountains to ask for rain. She reassures her child that her love will be, "In everything around you." Little One then asks a series of questions: "What if I can't hear you?"; "How will I know that you still love me?" Mama replies that she will sing on the wind, that her love will be in the warmth of the sun, and that it will be as if they can see each other by looking at the same star. Finally, Mama says, "Meet me at the moon, where the sky touches the earth." At first Little One finds comfort in the sun, the stars, and the wind, but time goes by and a storm obscures the sun and stars. Little One no longer hears a song on the wind and feels confused and abandoned, forgetting Mama's instructions. At last, Little One remembers the calling song and finds Mama as the moon sets. The sentiments are lovely, but the writing is overwrought and there are too many elements at play. For similarly luscious artwork with a clearer message, stick with Nancy Tillman's books.—Anna Haase Krueger, Antigo Public Library, WI