A kite for Moon

Jane Yolen

Book - 2019

A young boy, seeing that Moon is lonely, sends up a kite to cheer her then, after growing up and learning many things, he becomes the first human to visit her. Dedicated to Neil Armstrong and written in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the first U.S. moon landing.

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Yolen
1 / 2 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Yolen Checked In
Children's Room jE/Yolen Due Apr 3, 2024
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zonderkidz [2019]
Language
English
Main Author
Jane Yolen (author)
Other Authors
Heidi E. Y. Stemple (author), Matt Phelan (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm
ISBN
9780310756422
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

In honor of Neil Armstrong, Yolen shares a story about the strong admiration Moon receives from a small boy, who recognizes her loneliness. As the boy flies his kite at the beach during the daytime, he notices her presence despite the bright sky. Moon is feeling "terribly sorry for herself" as the world seems oblivious to her, and when the boy sends her an uplifting message on a kite, her mood is boosted. As the years go by, the boy remains the moon's admirer, sending her more kite messages until he grows up, becomes an astronaut, and can finally pay her a personal visit. Phelan's loose, brushy ink-and-watercolor illustrations in a soft palette nicely evoke the dreamy scenes, particularly the dark-haired, olive-skinned boy's caring, enthusiastic demeanor. Incorporating themes of caring, commitment, astronomy, and passion, this multifaceted, gentle story will be appealing on many levels. Pair with Torben Kuhlmann's Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon (2016) or Jen Campbell's Franklin and Luna Go to the Moon (2018).

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In a wistful story that honors Neil Armstrong, the moon is feeling lonely: "No one below was singing to her. No one was sending up rockets or writing poems about her." But below, a boy at the seashore sees the moon and senses its unhappiness: "So he wrote on his kite, promising to come some day for a visit." Phelan illustrates in loose, curling forms that conjure a sense of movement. In sequential panels, the boy is seen peering through a small microscope, receiving a telescope as a teenager, and, as a young adult, gazing through the window at the moon. After learning to ride a bike and drive a car, the boy learns to "fly a plane and a rocket. Then one day, when he had learned enough, he went up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail." At last he lands on the moon, touching his hand to its surface: " 'Hello, Moon,' he said. 'I've come for that visit.' " Yolen and Stemple remind readers of the simple awe of a most wonderful journey. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1-The allure of the moon has been a favorite theme for picture book authors from Margaret Wise Brown and Eric Carle to Frank Asch and Mordicai Gerstein. Yolen has explored it previously in Owl Moon. Here, writing with her daughter, she imagines the trajectory of astronaut Neil Armstrong's lifelong interest. Flying a kite at the beach in the early morning light, a tousle-haired boy becomes aware of the moon's loneliness: "The stars were all abed./No one below was singing to her./No one was sending up rockets/or writing poems about her." He knows how good a hug feels, but the moon is too far, so he sends a note via kite-the first of many. Readers watch the boy grow, gazing through telescopes and learning to drive, to fly, and, finally, to undertake a rocket voyage. At his lunar destination, an outstretched hand signals the fulfillment of his early wish. The text is spare but full of warmth and lyricism. Phelan's lively, flowing inked outlines convey both the steadfast connection between boy and orb and the movement born of passion. The paintings contain subtle and pleasing parallels, e.g., the rocket's orange and yellow exhaust mimics the flame-colored tail of Armstrong's childhood kite; the conclusion echoes the opening while extending the message. Panels effectively collapse time at key moments. VERDICT Smooth pacing and narrative clarity combine with an evocative presentation to make this a first choice to celebrate the 50th anniversary of America's moon landing.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.