Molly on the moon by Mary Robinette Kowal, illustrated by Diana Mayo

It's rare for an an adult author to successfully step over into children's books, but Mary Robinette Kowal's debut picture book is charming, multi-layered, and a lovely read-aloud.

Molly, a little girl with brown skin, black hair, and red cheeks, travels to the moon in a rocket. In her new home, she lives underground with her mother and baby brother. There is very little space, so she takes only one toy, her stuffed lamb Lassie. But there are packing crates to be turned into a fort, a plastic panel becomes a cape, and cans become a tea set. When Lassie goes missing, Molly searches high and low, remembering to account for the lower gravity. Unfortunately, it turns out baby Luke is playing with Lassie and their tug-of-war sends him soaring to the roof. Molly is angry, especially when she is reprimanded by her mother, but then she realizes that while she has several toys to use with her imagination, Luke has nothing but his little pile of blocks. Relenting, with the help of her mother she shares the toys she has created and the two  play happily together, having a tea party on the moon.

An author's note explains why, if we moved to the moon, we'd have to live underground and the changes in gravity. Kowal also expands on the idea of playing and repurposing toys and using one's imagination. Mayo's soft illustrations, all in tones of blues and purple with spots of yellow light and red fabric, are created from pastels and perfectly portray the gentle loneliness of the moonscape and the quiet connections Molly and her brother form after their argument.

The quiet repetition of the text, especially at the beginning as Molly creates playthings, will make this an excellent read-aloud. The book can be explored on several different levels, as an informational book about space, gravity, and the moon, but also in the context of moving and adapting to a new home and making do with limited things. Apart from the gravity, Molly and her little family could be moving to a smaller place or living in temporary housing and the book gently coaxes readers to think about using - and sharing - what they have.

Verdict: A quiet but touching story, a unique addition to storytimes featuring space and/or moving. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781250259615; Published 2022 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium