Hello, Moon

by Julie Downing

Overview

This perfect bedtime read-aloud describes that magical time, just as we're drifting off to sleep, when the moon the moon shines brightly and life emerges from the forest.

Hello moon,
Goodbye sun.
Night is near,
Day is done.

When the sun goes down and most of us are getting ready for bed, the nighttime animals of the forest all wake up to the light of the moon. It calls to the them, from the slyest fox to the tiniest mouse, who feasts on leaves and fruit and scurries beneath the brush.

A gentle rhyming text that will appeal to the youngest child is illustrated with soft and dreamy artwork in this perfect bedtime book in the tradition of Goodnight Moon. For more bedtime rhymes, don't miss the companion book Hello, Sun, which chronicles the other side of the daily cycle. 

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823450589
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Julie Downing has illustrated over forty-five picture books including Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper by Candace Fleming, The Fire Keeper's Son, Tessa Takes Wing and First Mothers. She has won many awards including a Parents Choice Award, the New York Public Library's Best Books Award, APAAL Best Illustrated Book and the Irma Black Silver Medal. Her work has been featured in the SCBWI Original Art Show.
Julie teaches illustration to undergraduate and graduate students at the Academy of Art University. She lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Whether read as Zen nature walk, bedtime story, or gentle science starter, this story begs to be visited again and again."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Downing invites listeners to revel in the night with soft illustrations depicting four nocturnal animals (a fox, owl, mouse, and raccoon) and a complementary series of soothing quatrains describing their routines."—The Horn Book

"A short, sweet, simple book for bedtime. . . . Glowing illustrations support a poetic text for a visit to what goes on while children sleep."—School Library Journal

"Downing adds rich depth to her full-bleed illustrations, dense with background detail and sumptuous, velvety color, while the onomatopoeic text melds seamlessly into the rest of the lines. . . . With an easy poetic tempo and artwork teeming with ambiance and tone, this will be an enchanting pick for storytime."—Booklist

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

PreS-Gr 1—A short, sweet, simple book for bedtime. Night is near and day is done—so who comes out when the sun goes down? Readers can explore the forest at night with owls, mice, raccoons, and foxes. For very young readers, this is a jumping-off point to explore nocturnal animals. Rhyming phrases will keep even the youngest listener engaged: "Look above, silver skies. Stir awake, open eyes. Moonlight calls, come outside, scurry pounce flutter glide." The illustrations build to the onset of darkness, normalizing night, where there is play, eating routines, and a full range of things to discover. VERDICT Glowing illustrations support a poetic text for a visit to what goes on while children sleep —Betsy Davison, formerly at Homer Central H.S., NY

School Library Journal

★ 2021-03-31
A nighttime woodland wander as simple, elegant, and classic as “Taps.”

“Hello, moon. / Goodbye, sun. // Night is near. / Day is done.” These simple words begin a spare rhyming text of about 110 words, opening the door to a magical nighttime animal world. Realistic illustrations in sunny shades morph into the blues of dusk and night, reemerging as the golden tones of dawn. An owl, a fox, raccoons, and mice “scurry pounce flutter [and] glide” as they explore, hunt, and play in the undergrowth. The mice may often seem to be in danger, but they are ultimately always safe. Most images read as nighttime, but each featured animal—and often its offspring—is spotlighted on the page and easily visible, making this a good group read-aloud. The color of the print also changes from black on light backgrounds to white on dark for legibility. However, subtle details are hidden in the shadowy illustrations, and some serious snuggle time with the book will reveal animal nests or dens, mice sneaking through most scenes, and other woodland creatures here and there. This gentle science lesson can be extended with a discussion about the difference between butterflies as creatures of the day and moths as denizens of the night. Although “wild winds blow, / lightning flash. // Thunder roars! / Raindrops splash,” the drama is muted as animals safely scurry home to a “warm and dry, / cozy lair.”

Whether read as Zen nature walk, bedtime story, or gentle science starter, this story begs to be visited again and again. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews