City Moon

by Rachael Cole, Blanca Gómez (Illustrator)

Overview

A little boy and his mother take a nighttime walk to search for the moon in this Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor book. Gentle and keenly observed, this bedtime story is sure to appeal to fans of Kevin Henkes's Kitten's First Full Moon and young children who find the moon fascinating.

Soothing text and hip, colorful collage style illustrations create a nighttime story that follows a little boy and his Mama as they walk around their neighborhood looking for the moon. As the elusive moon plays peek-a-boo behind buildings and clouds, the little boy asks simple questions about it, and his Mama patiently answers every one. When finally the moon appears—bright and white and round and glowing—the mama and her boy stop and wait for it to disappear again. The moonlit walk continues until the boy yawns and Mama lifts him into her arms and whispers, "it is time for bed."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553497076
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	645,327
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Rachael Cole received an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor for City Moon, her picture book debut, which she wrote based on her own nighttime walks with her son looking for the moon.. She is also the co-author of Ladies Drawing Night, published by Chronicle in 2016, along with Leah Goren and Julia Rothman. She works as an art director in children’s publishing. Rachael lives in Brooklyn. Learn more at rachaelcole.net, on Twitter @rachael_cole, and on Instagram @rachaelcole.
 
Blanca Gómez started creating illustrations for her mother when she was a child. Now she illustrates for clients around the world. She illustrated One Family by George Shannon which Kirkus called, "visually striking" in a starred review, and Besos for Baby by Jen Arena. Blanca lives and works in Madrid, Spain. Visit her on the web at cosasminimas.com.

Editorial Reviews

Despite the presence of speeding cars and fire engines with wailing sirens, Blanca Gómez's illustrations create an atmosphere that is overwhelmingly quiet. Alongside them, Rachael Cole's prose unfolds at a measured pace that will ease young readers into a restful mood.

The New York Times Book Review - Jabari Asim

…will ease young readers into a restful mood.” —The New York Times

“Wonder-filled and delightful.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

From the Publisher

09/01/2017
PreS—On a fall evening after dinner, a mother and son put their coats on over pajamas and head out into their city neighborhood in search of the moon. A game of hide-and-seek ensues with the moon dipping behind clouds and tall buildings. "We crane our necks up to the sky, but it's hiding. Where is it? Oh…there it is! The moon! We stop and look, but as we walk, it hides again." The two continue on their walk with the sights and sound of the city as a backdrop. The moon is spotted a couple of times before finally reaching home. "I climb into bed and see the moon. 'Can we keep the curtain open?' Mama says yes, and whispers good night." The text is spare yet effective. Gómez's full-spread illustrations are gorgeous and set the tone with a soft, muted palette. Children will love poring over all the details in the cityscapes—the people and animals on the street and inside the lit-up apartments as mother and son stroll through the community. While the mother and son are red-haired and white, there is a diverse array of people in the background. VERDICT A quiet, soothing bedtime offering that works as a small group read-aloud and one-on-one. An additional purchase for most collections.—Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn

School Library Journal

★ 2017-05-31
A mother and child search for the moon on an evening walk in the city.In the early fall darkness, mom and little one put on their pajamas, coats, and shoes and head out into the neighborhood to find the moon. Sometimes it hides behind buildings or clouds. Sometimes it is only seen as a reflection in a puddle. The child narrator is filled with curiosity and wonder, working to understand what they are seeing and not seeing. The narrator asks questions, Mama answers simply, and her child inhales the information; they are in perfect harmony. "Oh, stars." "Oh…a reflection." The street is filled with sights and sounds, but they are the only moon-hunters. Cole's syntax is spot-on, clear, descriptive, and filled with lovely images. Gómez's digitally rendered, double-page spreads capture the city neighborhood in evening tones of brown, navy, and dark green with illumination from street lights, apartment windows, and, of course, the elusive moon. There are charming vignettes of people of diverse skin tones, in their apartments or passing by on foot or on bikes, busy with their own lives. The white, redheaded mother and child move through the pages always touching, intense in their quest and sure of their love. This bedtime story will have little readers begging to explore it again and again. Wonder-filled and delightful. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews