"Thank you for guiding
tiny turtles to the sea
On a midsummer night, leatherback turtle
hatchlings break out of their eggs. They
scramble to the surface of the sand and
race toward the ocean. Bright moonlight
reflecting off the water helps the little ones
find their way to safety."
Melissa Stewart has her finger on the pulse of kids who love reading information books. Her many amazing titles is testament to that. Her research is impeccable; she finds facts that not only entertain and inform children but also their parents and teachers. I find myself poring over the facts that she presents here about Earth's nightlight and the many effects it has on the rest of nature.
Each full spread offers a thank you to the moon on the verso: for companionship, for making life possible here on Earth, for guidance, for light to see at night, for needed warnings, for providing signals, and for beauty in the night sky. On the recto, concise notes are printed in a smaller font, adding meaning to the words of thanks.
A big surprise for me concerns joint pines, a Mediterranean shrub used to make medicine for people with asthma.
"When the moon is full in July, sweet, sticky droplets full of pollen
ooze out of a joint palm's colorful cones. The liquid sparkles in the
moonlight, attracting hungry flies and moths. And as the insects
feed, they spread pollen from plant to plant, so new seeds can form."
Back matter offers more about the moon and its phases. Finally, Ms. Stewart provides the scientific name, size, habitat, range, diet, predators, lifespan and a short field note for each of the creatures beholden to the moon for its influences. A Selected Sources list and titles for further reading are added.
Light-infused watercolor illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the text, allowing readers to constantly focus on the moon in its place in the night sky - even during the day if we are ever observant.
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