Mending the Moon is a beautiful picture book from author Emma Pearl & illustrator Sara Ugolotti. Publishing with Page Street Kids in the US on November 1st and in the UK on December 5th, it’s arriving just in time for Christmas.
A gorgeous story of the relationship between a grandfather and grandchild, Mending the Moon celebrates joy in nature, teamwork and the importance of protecting our world. This is the perfect book for snuggling up with at bedtime on winter evenings, maybe even with the moon shining in through the window. Children are sure to ask for it again and again.
I’m so happy to welcome author Emma Pearl to my blog with a guest post about her motivation for writing this story.
Mending the Moon ~ Guest Post by Emma Pearl
I think we could all do with more joy in our lives. There are so many terrifying, depressing and horrific things going on in the world – who doesn’t want a large dose of comforting escapism right now?
Mending the Moon is, for me at least, a bit of an antidote to the constant stream of impending doom. Aside from being a stunningly beautiful object to hold in your hands – Sara Ugolotti’s illustrations are absolutely spellbinding! – the story is one of hope and compassion. My fondest wish is for people to read it and remember that nature is full of miracles and worth all our best efforts to save it. I’m cautiously optimistic that readers of all ages will enjoy the combination of nature and magic with a touch of folklore.
At the start of the story, the moon falls out of the sky. I didn’t go into detail about why this happened, aside from saying that the moon was shining bigger and brighter than ever, so much so that it became “too heavy to hold itself up in the sky”. This was partly an acknowledgement that sometimes, bad things just happen. And partly an allusion to the fact that the planet now needs to work harder than ever to balance the damage being inflicted by humans. The signs of its struggle are evident across the globe in the extreme weather events we’ve seen recently. In this context, the moon falling from the sky is perhaps not so far far-fetched after all.
Luna sees the moon falling and smashing to pieces on the mountain. She wakes her grandfather Poppa and they go out into the cold night to see if they can fix it. Although it seems an impossible task, they find that nature is not only willing to help (all the animals, birds and insects lend a hand), but also able to provide some surprising solutions, from tree sap glue to silkworm thread. Thus, by working in harmony with nature, showing respect and kindness for all living things, Luna, with Poppa’s support, achieves the impossible.
There’s another twist at the end, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what that is!
Of course I’m biased, but this really is a stunning book to look at. Check out the beautiful endpapers, the pretty spines, the lovely surprise case cover under the jacket, plus the cast of adorable animal characters. Not to mention Luna herself, brought perfectly to life by Sara’s illustrations. Isn’t she gorgeous?
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