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Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Molly on the Moon, written by Mary Robinette Kowal and illustrated by Diana Mayo. Raoring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast, 2022. $25.99 ages 4 and up




"But the fort and the witch's cape and 
Lassie were her only toys on the Moon ... 

except for the tin cans.

Those became a tea set!"

Have you ever thought about moving to the moon? It has never occurred to me! 

Molly made the trip with her mother and her baby brother. Their home on the moon was an underground room, called a module. It didn't have a lot of room; for Molly that meant she could only take one toy. It didn't limit Molly's imagination for play. She used packing boxes, with her mother's help, to build a fort. A solar panel cover became a cape. Then, there were the tin cans! 

Using her imagination, Molly created a comfortable place for play. When her stuffed sheep Lassie disappeared, she went looking. She found Lassie with her brother Luke, who didn't want to give the toy back. Molly was determined to have it. 

"The gravity on the Moon is weaker than on 
Earth, which made Molly seem extra strong. 
And like Moon cookies, Luke seemed extra light,
like he didn't weigh much more than a feather pillow. 

So when Molly pulled Lassie ... "

Oh dear, what did she do? It was Mom to the rescue for Luke, and Molly to her fort to sulk and be mad. After she calmed down, Molly had a change of heart. She set about making things better for Luke, which made things better for everyone.  

Diana Mayo's mixed media art provides a dramatic setting for the story's action, while also keeping it warm and a touch magical. Using varying perspectives, she adds understanding to the storytelling. It is a very small space made bigger with each digital detail. 

An author's note adds further information about the moon itself, and the differences between living on the moon and on Earth.

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