Winter Reading 2017 If You Were the Moon

Laura Purdie Salas is an author that I trust to deliver a quality book, and she does not disappoint in this latest endeavor. Her descriptions of the moon are accurate and yet whimsical at the same time. She has the moon correcting a child who says, "I wish I could do exactly nothing, just like you." So the moon spends the rest of the book explaining what it is so busy doing all the time - spinning (rotating), playing peek-a-boo (changing phases), pulling at the oceans (causing tides), etc. The illustrations complete the book in that wonderful synergy that happens in the best picture book pairings. Jaime Kim's beautiful pictures show the moon in a tutu pirouetting through space, playing dodgeball with space rocks, or lighting the way as baby sea turtles crawl back to the ocean after they hatch. Together, the author and illustrator convey astronomy facts (both in the main text and in side notes) and capture the mystery and allure of the moon at the same time.

A perfect introduction to the topic for young readers, and an excellent example of descriptive writing for middle grade readers.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.