Little Moons

Paperback

$20.95

Paperback
$20.95

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Overview

In this moving graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Reanna grieves the loss of her older sister. Can she find comfort through her family’s Ojibwe traditions?

It’s been a year since Reanna’s sister, Chelsea, went missing on her way home from school. Without any idea of what happened, Reanna and her family struggle to find closure.

Driven from her home by memories, Reanna’s mom moves to the big city. Left behind on the reserve, Reanna and her little brother go to live with their dad.

Reanna is hurt and angry that her mom has run away. She feels lonely and abandoned…but she is not alone. Lights turn on in empty rooms, and objects move without being touched.

There are little moons everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774921074
Publisher:	Portage & Main Press
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	622,616
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.16(d)
Lexile:	HL520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jen Storm (she/her/hers) is an Ojibwe writer from Couchiching First Nation in Northwestern Ontario. She lives and raises her family, which includes her son, River, and stepson, Axel, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jen completed Deadly Loyalties, her first novel, at age fourteen and has continued writing ever since.

Ryan Howe (he/him/his) is a Canadian cartoonist who fell in love with comics’ unique storytelling language at some point earlier than he can remember, and has been hooked ever since. He’s been collaborating with other comics creators since 2003, providing art for various projects and genres on both the web and in print.

Nickolej Villiger (he/him/his) is a comic book artist and illustrator. Nickolej is also a musician and has composed, produced, and arranged for video games and film. Dedicated to his family and fans of his work, he is most fulfilled when creating something that is uniquely his own. Nickolej lives and works in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Alice RL (they/them/their) is a professional illustrator and art teacher based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a non-binary Ojibwe artist, Alice draws inspiration from their life experiences and cultural teachings. Alice blends these inspirations with a signature palette of bright, playful hues to create stunning juxtapositions of human brutality and emotion with hope and whimsy.

What People are Saying About This

New York Times bestselling author Tasha Spillett

Little Moons has all the hallmarks of becoming a cherished companion for young hearts navigating the turbulent waters of grief and loss. This graphic novel not only offers solace but also illuminates the path toward healing. Little Moons gently guides readers through the darkest of nights, reminding them that even in moments of profound sadness, there is still light to be found.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

I love the realistic depiction of Reanna, who is not the typical skinny pathetic girl of some stories of loss. The graphic art and story successfully condense the passing of time over the year when the family waits for news of Chelsea. This is an important addition to libraries looking to diversify graphic collections.

Youth Services Book Review

Cartoonist Howe and nonbinary Ojibwe artist RL create vibrant pages.... Wordless panels adroitly enhance the narrative.... The creators indelibly humanize the alarming murder and missing rates for Indigenous women and girls across Canada and the U.S. with names, family, memories.

Booklist

Among LA County Library’s Graphic Novels list

LA County Library

Carries quite a bit of emotional heft giving readers a genuine portrayal of a family splintered by a uniquely specific grief….No one here is perfect, but everyone is deserving of sympathy…authentic. Recommended.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

09/01/2024
Gr 9 Up—A fictional depiction of true events that brings to light the discussion of missing people and how their disappearance affects those that are left behind, more specifically, in Indigenous and Native communities. This graphic novel takes on the difficult responsibility of expressing to readers that sometimes, even if it's hard, even if there are no true answers, some things are important to speak about, read about, and talk about. Reanna's sister Chelsea disappears on her way home from school. Each person in Chelsea's community reconciles their grief in their own way; Reanna wants to hold on to Chelsea's memory, while some members of her family want to forget and move forward. Then there are others who can see and feel Chelsea's spirit lingering in the household. The text and illustrations, alongside Reanna's perspective, offer readers a view into Ojibwe culture and heritage and the traditions that are performed in memoriam of a loved one. Viewed through Reanna's eyes, the perspective makes it easy to empathize with their loss and with all of the characters; one can see how grief touches everyone in different ways. Though some may feel uncomfortable with the ambiguity of the story's ending, the reality is that sometimes things are left uncertain, and as the author stated, "Grief is messy and complex; it is love with nowhere to go." VERDICT Storm and the art team beautifully weave a story about culture, heritage, family, loss, and grief in a tight-knit package.—Cat Miserendino

School Library Journal

2024-07-19
A moving exploration of how grief affects people, centering on an Ojibwe family.
When 15-year-old Chelsea doesn’t come home after school one day, her family deals with trying to find closure. A year passes, and the family members are coping with their trauma in different ways. Reanna hopes to feel closer to her sister through traditional dancing and wearing Chelsea’s regalia. Their mother does everything to distance herself from her life on the reserve, however. She moves to the city, leaving Reanna and little brother Theo with their father, a caring man with whom they have a strong relationship. The story handles the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People with dignity and authenticity. The limited text on some pages draws focus to the art and its powerful imagery. Many story elements add to the authenticity and nuance, from the portrayal of the various ways Indigenous people style their hair to the inclusion of Ojibwe mourning traditions and the poignant notifications on Reanna’s phone, showing her photos that revive memories from a time before her sister vanished and highlight how fractured her family has become. The ways that Chelsea’s family tries to find closure and deal with her absence vary, realistically showcasing the forms grief can take and the struggle of longing for answers one may never get.
A powerful and sensitively told story. (content warning, author’s note)(Graphic fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews