THURSDAY'S Picture Book of the Week: "Meet Me at the Moon" by Gianna Marino (a possible award winner)

Book Review: Meet Me at the Moon by Gianna Marino (Mar 29, 2012)

Gianna Marino’s brand new children’s book Meet Me at the Moon honors the play between a mother’s love and a child’s need for reassurance. Vibrant  hues of reds, greys, oranges and greens set the stage while lovely elephants, zebras and giraffes move along sunny landscapes, under starry skies, and even in storms upon the African plain.

Mama Elephant tells Little One she must go away. She will climb the highest mountain because the land is dry and she will ask the skies for rain. Little One grabs Mama’s trunk and worries, “I don’t want you to go.”
He wonders if Mama will return?

Gianna’s beautiful illustrations pull at our hearts as Mama reassures Little One and points out the ways in which nature will reunite them. Mama says “Listen for my sound in the wind, Little One. I will sing to you.” and “When you feel the warmth of the sun, I will be loving you from where I am.”
Little One asks “How will you find me again?” Mama, reassures, “When the night sky is bright, Little One, meet me at the moon, where the sky touches the earth.”

There are times Little One feels lonely after Mama leaves. The giraffes gather to offer comfort and friendship.

Little One thinks of Mama when he sees a shining star.  He sees the sun and feels her warm love from far away. Rain begins to pour, and no longer is there a warm sun or shining stars for comfort. Little One becomes worried again. But, then Little One remembers the calling song and begins to sing........

Meet Me at the Moon is Gianna’s third children’s book after Zoopa: An Animal Alphabet and One Too Many: A Seek & Find Counting Book, both of which received great reviews.

However, what makes her new book unequivocally poignant is the story behind the story —Gianna began writing about Mama and Little One during her own mother’s last days battling cancer. Her father had died just seven years earlier from the same fate, and Gianna realized she would be orphaned and alone. She wrote this story for comfort and then realized she was capturing the eternal connection between a mother and a child.  This is a possible book award winner in my view.  Outstanding!!!!