A Full Moon Is Rising, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Julia Cairns. Lee & Low, 2011. $19.95 ages 6 and up

"Sail on a Saturday.
Sail on a Monday.
You'll find the highest tides of all
here, in the Bay of Fundy.

Sail at a new moon.
Sail at a full.
Waters spring to their peak
to heed the lunar pull."

Don't you just love books that teach you something new? I knew this would be a book of poetry, and I knew that the poems would vary in form, and I knew that they would be thoughtful and inspire me. Marilyn Singer's work is not new to me, and I have great admiration for her ever-evolving way with words.

I did not know that I would learn more about the world and its cultures, while I also learned more about the moon than I had previously known. That is just what this prolific poet shows us...how people around the world welcome the full moon;

"All around the world, people and other living things are affected by the changing phases of the moon. But perhaps the most celebrated phase is the full moon. Sailors set out to sea on the high tides it causes. Insects and migrating birds are guided by its brilliant light. Families dance, sing, and feast at full moon festivals, while traders buy and sell camels."

She begins in New York City on Broadway, the moon waiting 'in the wings' and ready for 'its monthly debut'. The locations for celebration are wide-ranging and provide an engaging world journey.  The poems consider natural phenomena such as the Bay of Fundy, a lunar eclipse, and the Staircase to the Moon. She ends back in New York where the moon 'takes a bow' and promises an 'encore in one month!'

Each location is beautifully pictured in energy-infused watercolors on a two-page spread by Julia Cairns, and is accompanied by a short poem by Marilyn Singer describing the events of each scene. The gentle rhythms of Singer's poetry and the lovely full-color images move the reader from page to page, wondering at the many ways the moon affects people of the world. The endpaper maps place reader and listener at each location considered for inclusion, and give a little lesson in geography. An  "About the Poems" section is added to give further detail for each one. 

While it is a familiar sight, it is also quite amazing that so many share its beauty and wonder in a variety of ways. I am always soothed by the fact that no matter how far away from my children I am, we can look outside at night and know that we see the same moon. It helps keep them close.