“Meet Me at the Moon,” by Gianna Marino, Viking Juvenile, March 29, 2012, hardcover $16.99 (ages 2 and up)
The land is dry, and Mama must leave Little One to ask the skies for rain. It’s important, but Little One is worried and doesn’t want Mam to go. “You will feel my love in everything around you,” Mama reassures. In the wind, Mama will sing. Her love will be in the warmth of the sun; it will twinkle in the brightest star. And she promises they will be reunited in the moon, “where the sky touches the earth,” after the rains come.
“Meet Me at the Moon” is lovely both in word and art. Author/illustrator Gianna Marino perfectly captures the love between a mother and child, and gently broaches the subject of temporary separation. Exquisite illustrations in oranges, yellows and blues are a delight that you’ll want to peruse over and over again. This is one of my favorite picture books of the year. Make sure to add it to the top of your “to-own” list.
