Sometimes, well, often, I just don't get what people see in award-winning illustrators. Frankly, I have never appreciated Evan Turk's art. I feel like some of my patrons who just don't "get" graphic novels. However, I am really glad I took a chance and looked at this title, because finally I can really appreciate his unique style.
A child and parent, their skin glowing in warm oranges with swirling curls of brown hair, go out into the night to say hello to the moon. The night is rich with inky blue-black swirls, the moon a white, glowing circle. Their faces are washed into gray-blue by the light of the moon and the reader is carried across a series of paneled drawings showing moonlight and sunlight as the days pass. The next image of the golden-faced child shows a sliver of the moon in shadow, "Look! The Moon! Part of it is gone!"
Under the gaze of the child and their parent, the moon goes through its phases and the beauty and strangeness of the winter night, glowing under the light of the moon, is shown. Shadows on the bark of the birch trees look like eyes, cold water flows in swift ripples, and finally only their eyes show in the dark, waiting for the new moon to appear. But even when the moon is hidden, the sky is alive with deep blues and purples, to the sparkle of the stars. Swirling white lines take the child and parent up into the stars, making them part of the fantastic universe, until they return to their cozy home, ready to greet the new sliver of the moon.
Verdict: The simple text, a brief framing for the stunning depictions of the night sky and the moon in its phases, is perfectly matched with the art and this is a top choice for quieter, reflective storytimes, read-alouds to classrooms, and inspiration for art. Recommended.
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