Wild Moon: How the Lunar Phases Light Up Our World

K-Gr 4–Although this book is a work of nonfiction, radiantly illustrated by Rose, the moon narrates what it does, its impact on Earth, and its endless pushing and pulling. A scene of the savannah is the background for an explanation of the new moon, and in service to the realities of the natural world, Powers pulls no punches. The moon advises the creatures to stay close to home in the “hiding” darkness of the new moon but also coaches a predator to use its “night eye” to find and bring home food for the cubs. All eight phases of the moon are laid out, against settings that show how very many kinds of night there are for the creatures who live there. Asides in a slightly smaller font explain, for ­example, how the waxing crescent moon makes the Milky Way visible, and how the dung beetle traces its steps accordingly. The waxing gibbous moon washes the landscape in light, a lively scene in which scorpions glow in the dark just from the rays of the moon. This is a beautifully rendered piece of science, with enough poetic expression to draw in readers, but never growing sentimental or fantastical with the facts. The paintings are meant to be pored over, and this is likely not a book for reading once. It will certainly enliven story hours with its combination of repose and activity, all in one moon cycle.