My Friend the Moon by Andre Dahan was a staple of my childhood and thus a story worthy of my review. The central theme of this story is friendship; a boy rowing out to sea alone at night looking for a friend. The young boy finds the moon hanging from the sky. When its string snaps from movement, the moon falls into the sea but because of its shape, finds that it can float. The boy lifts the moon into the boat and dries him off, taking it home. Though his house is small, the moon fits and together the pair dance and sing and make music together. In the morning, the boy goes out in search of another friend and finds the sun. The three friends live happily together.
The story is simple in its plot, but rich in text. The book opens with, “alone at sea in the indigo night, I found a moon slumbering tight.” Each line follows a similar pattern, portraying themes of empathy and concern, cause and effect, and rhyme rhythm.
In terms of imagery, the story begins with an orange crescent moon suspended against a dark blue backdrop. Once the day breaks, the indigos and grays become yellows and greens as the boy seeks out the sun. There is so much texture of the water, the lines of the grass, the floorboards. Movement is beautifully illustrated in this story, as well as the portrayal night and day.
I think what children can garner from this story is the importance of care and companionship. “I thought it best to bring him home, or he would be left alone.”
This also would be a show more great story to introduce when teaching rhyme scheme and poetry. show less
The story is simple in its plot, but rich in text. The book opens with, “alone at sea in the indigo night, I found a moon slumbering tight.” Each line follows a similar pattern, portraying themes of empathy and concern, cause and effect, and rhyme rhythm.
In terms of imagery, the story begins with an orange crescent moon suspended against a dark blue backdrop. Once the day breaks, the indigos and grays become yellows and greens as the boy seeks out the sun. There is so much texture of the water, the lines of the grass, the floorboards. Movement is beautifully illustrated in this story, as well as the portrayal night and day.
I think what children can garner from this story is the importance of care and companionship. “I thought it best to bring him home, or he would be left alone.”
This also would be a show more great story to introduce when teaching rhyme scheme and poetry. show less
I enjoyed rereading Little Cloud by Eric Carle, not only for the nostalgia of one of my favorite childhood authors and illustrators, but now with my education in early development, I see the benefits of perusing this book. Little Cloud’s theme is to showcase imagination; that our minds can seek inspiration in everything, from natural landscapes to clouds in the sky.
In the beginning of the story, Little Cloud drifts away from the other mass of clouds, fostering the idea of individuality and free thought. Like the work of artists and authors, Little Cloud creates from what he knows. He takes inspiration from everyday things that he has seen on his travels and forms himself to replicate them.
Eric Carle’s bold and textured brush strokes invite readers to almost reach out and touch the lines on the page. The hurried white squiggles that work to create the shape of a sheep, airplane, shark, against the rich blue of the sky.
In the end, Little Cloud rejoins the other clouds after they call him back. Once forming together, the sky opens and rains down on the once sunny scape.
I think young readers resonate with this story because it inspires further thought and investigation. Whenever looking up at the clouds, children will wonder what shapes they can find, what stories can they create in the sky?
In the beginning of the story, Little Cloud drifts away from the other mass of clouds, fostering the idea of individuality and free thought. Like the work of artists and authors, Little Cloud creates from what he knows. He takes inspiration from everyday things that he has seen on his travels and forms himself to replicate them.
Eric Carle’s bold and textured brush strokes invite readers to almost reach out and touch the lines on the page. The hurried white squiggles that work to create the shape of a sheep, airplane, shark, against the rich blue of the sky.
In the end, Little Cloud rejoins the other clouds after they call him back. Once forming together, the sky opens and rains down on the once sunny scape.
I think young readers resonate with this story because it inspires further thought and investigation. Whenever looking up at the clouds, children will wonder what shapes they can find, what stories can they create in the sky?