Luna Oscura

Toddler-PreS--The cats that live in the forest come in all coat colors: orange, white, spotted, and striped. They are not friendly to Luna. They tell her she has a plain black coat and is bad luck. Luna finds comfort in her good friend Toad. When the cats are ready for their forever home, they go to the nearby town; but when Luna and Toad visit, the people there shoo Luna away, afraid because she is a black cat. Luna and Toad return to the forest, and during the night when the moon is full, Luna begins to sparkle and shine. Wings appear on her back, and she and Toad fly up until they reach a very different town. Here, a little girl befriends Luna and Toad and takes them on a tour of the town. They enjoy empanadas and playing together. Luna has finally found her forever home. Breathtaking colors illuminate every spread, from the autumnal oranges and browns in the cat forest to the brilliant colorful world with friendly calaca-inspired characters who befriend Luna and Toad. The text, included in both English and Spanish, beautifully introduces Luna's world to readers, conveying the cat's feelings of sadness and ultimately happiness as she finds where she belongs. VERDICT A beautiful addition to picture book collections for children, and a wonderful way to introduce the misconceptions and beauty of black cats to the youngest readers.--Selenia Paz