A Moon of My Own: A World Travel Book for Kids

by Jennifer Rustgi, Ashley White (Illustrator)

Now a Story Time from Space official selection!  An imaginative young girl travels the world with her faithful companion, the moon, in an enchanted adventure across the seven continents that is marked by the moon's phases, depicted in silhouetted artwork and augmented by references for further learning.

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Geography, Travel

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the silhouette illustrations in this book and different scenes from around the world.
The main story is a very quick read - and the kids and I smiled at the ending.
There are several pages of back-matter, explaining both the different scenes around the world that appear in the book, as well as discussing the moon and different phases of the moon.
The book can be used for toddler story time (quick read with pretty illustrations) and also for elementary school students studying the moon (or different geographical locations.) Because it's a moon story, it also works as a bedtime story.
Kids voted to give this book five stars.

[Monica Hocking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. Me like that the illustrations are in shilloette. Me love that it's a simple story yet so very interesting if you take time to soak it in. And the part in the back of the book of the world map with the same basic pictures, encourages you to learn where these places are actually at in the real world. A simple but very effective way of helping both young and old retain this exciting information. Me also like that the main character is always wearing her rain boots. Me can relate to that because every single day, me can be found wearing me Mickey Mouse Cape. Me nickname is " Super Mickey".

[Gwenn Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to my moon-obsessed toddler and he lost interest by the third page. My older sons, who were listening because they can’t help themselves, all asked if I could get a refund. So disappointed.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story, great illustrations, and I love the STEM tie-ins at the back.

[Zoe Schamehorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My little guy and I both loved this book. Nice pace and simple but pretty artwork.

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is perfect for those with littles that like the night sky and the moon! It is all about a little girl who thinks the moon must be meant just for her as it appears to follow her around. She describes a lot of what the moon is doing and what she loves about it.

As far as the illustrations go, they are mostly of the night time sky. The girl and anything that is supposed to appear before the sky is in black solid shapes, similar to how you see it on the cover. While it seems rather simple, the sky is always very pretty and nice to look at - which was probably the point of it. All in all, the illustrations are rather soothing.

However, that all being said, the story is actually a little simple and it is very quick read through. It might be best as a bedtime story to help calm the littles down.

This review is based on a copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations, which are are - well, luminous - more than I liked the text, which is mundane and trite. I wish the images were complemented by more poetic language. The back matter is useful and informative - and there's four full pages of it. I found it curious that "all the phases are shown the way they appear when looking at the Moon from the Northern Hemisphere" - even when some of the locations were not (e.g., Antarctica, Australia, South America). I guess I sort of understand because it's unlikely a kid would have the experiences of seeing the moon from both hemispheres, but it still kind of bothered me that you aren't getting the view as it would be seen from that location, which is being so clearly presented.

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book continues to stand out to me because there are so many children's books with very detailed, busy illustrations, and the illustrations in this one are so simple and pure. A few colors, a few silhouettes. Perfect for when you're trying to get drowsy for bedtime. Plus, the pictures of the world landmarks gives the book an extra little something, an introduction to famous far-away places to inspire some curiosity.

And of course, I love the idea that no matter where we are in the whole world, the same moon is looking down at us all.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this picture book, a girl sees different sites around the world. The pictures are all in silhouette so you feel like it is night. At then end of the book there are facts about each of the places and the moon as well.
I received a copy through Good Reads First Reads.

[Lanie Tankard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story of a little girl following the moon on fantasy journeys around the world. Gorgeous illustrations. I bought a copy for my granddaughter! I hope to see more by this author.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by the notion that the moon follows us wherever we go, this new book would work well as a read alone or as a part of a unit on the Moon or the seven continents.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The childhood belief that ‘the moon is following me’ combines with geographic locations across the globe in a delightful story of a young girl who lovingly speaks to the moon that follows her on her many adventures. She converses with the moon, and shares, “I never tell you where I’m going, but somehow you always find me.”

In the night skies and against the white moon, the illustrator uses silhouettes of key geographic locations. Each location gives enough clues for adults to know (most of) the locations. Readers will want to pull out a globe, map or encyclopedia to identify each location and learn more. The illustrator even manages to show us the moon from underwater, while showing the Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific Ocean near Australia.

Fortunately, each of the locations is named and introduced in the back matter. Moon facts, Moon Phases and Modeling the Moon are also explored, with references given to other resources. Adults will enjoy this book as much as kids.

[Kalynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the note from the author, it says, "Come along on an enchanted adventure around the world with a young girl and her faithful companion, the Moon"--and this book was exactly that! :-) With it wonderful illustrations it captured the girls nightly friendship with the moon, and her nightly wondering on why it changed. Did it do that for her? This is a great book to read, along with Owl Moon, or by itself, as an introduction to phases of the moon. What have the students noticed? What are their thoughts on why that happens? What are they more curious about?

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

First this title is misleading. Second why is this book not in poetic form or at least rhythmic patterns. Children around 3-5 years old, the age the little girl appears to be, love rhythm. Last, I did appreciate the phases of the moon being shown throughout the book. Still the idea, little girl/boy believes the moon is following them and befriends it and takes it on their adventures, is fantastic but poorly executed.

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple story, beautiful illustrations and I loved the detail of the moon throughout the book.
The facts at the end were really cool (both the children's section of facts and the teacher's/parent's section of facts).
This is a book that would be on my list of recommendations if someone was looking for kids books on moons.

[Kaylee]

I really like the silhouetted illustrations in this book. I have never seen anything like it before. This book reminds me of when I was younger and used to think the moon would follow me in the car. I like that this book has the moon go through its stages, it can open up a conversation about the different looks of the moon.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit disjointed for me. I picked it up as something light to read about the moon since we are learning about space right now. It really wasn't about the moon but a little girl traveling through the world with her companion, the moon. I think my favorite part was the map at the back explaining all of the places she went in the book and the moon facts.

[Emily Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Love the silhouettes and the different landscapes and landmarks. Probably not the most interesting for children, but it’s a cute book. I especially love the “explore more” section in the back for teachers and parents.

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming little story for the kids. My daughter read it and said it was very sweet and she liked it a lot. The illustrations are top notch, and it has some great little science facts at the end.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a darling book! Beautiful illustrations as a sweet story!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A toddler and up book about the many phases and places you can see the moon with some elementary back matter including experiments.

[Tiffany Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. While reading this book, my kids pointed out that the little girl is ME and it touched my heart forever. 😭

[Sparkledaisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the world. Moon phases. Lots of possibilities!

[Aarvik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice one !

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book about the moon, and all the illustrations are dark outlines of shapes on the horizon because it is dark and dim outside. I didn't enjoy this one very much.

[coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough one! Do I give it a 2 or a 3? So I did like it. Honestly, if the moon is involved, I’ll probably like it, but this book was also the most different out of all of the ones I picked up recently. Instead of a book teaching us some kind of lesson on people, this one was more about the moon. At the end of it there’s even facts about the moon, activities on locations around the world, and questions little ones might have about the moon. In that sense it was a good read. For anything else…well I’d rate it a 2

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by her daughter asking, "Mama, why does the Moon always follow me?" author Jennifer Rustgi explores this idea within the pages of A Moon of One's Own. A young girl in golashes and carrying a stick is wandering the world having a conversation with the moon. She asks if the Moon is lonely or playing hide and seek. She compliments it's brightness and appreciates the aurora borealis. A heart warming short story, this is perfect for bedtime.

I adore the artwork of this book. The large glossy pages jumped out at me, but in a muted way. I was immediately captured by Ashley White's color pallet and use of silhouette. Each page shows the protagonist and a setting in silhouette against dark purples and blues of the night sky. The most beautiful part, however, is how the sky interacts with the colors. White for the stars, the moon, and clouds appear on each page, but in a very different way. I appreciate how White draws subtle attention to the sky being different yet the same in every part of the world.

The book concludes with 4 pages labeled "Explore More". These segments provide educational enhancements appropriate for children, parents, and teacher. The For Kids section actually called out a number of things I hadn't noticed! For example, throughout the pages of the book the moon is changing phases in the appropriate order. How did I not notice that the first time I read it?! And the For Teachers and Parents section provides adults easy ways to support curiosity around the moon through activities and facts.

This book packs a lot in its short 32 pages. It's beautiful, educational, and perfect to help children get drowsy for bedtime. If you or your children have any interest in the Moon, I strongly encourage you to read A Moon of One's Own.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Dawn Publications for review.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband chose this book, but it wound up being my favorite from that particular library trip. This magical celebration of the moon is beautifully illustrated with dramatic images which use light, shadow, and silhouette to create a sense of nighttime stillness and wonder at the moon's beauty. The child narrator follows the moon to different countries, while speaking directly to the moon about its subtle changes from night to night, and the comfort she finds in knowing the moon is always with her. It's a gorgeous book to look at, but also informative. The back matter talks about continents, landmarks, and the phases of the moon, and provides activities to do with young children to help them study the moon. This is one of the best picture books I have read in a long time.

[Christine Turner]

An imaginative young girl travels the world with her faithful companion, the moon. In her enchanted adventure she visits all seven continents while the moon goes through its cycle of phases as portrayed in silhouetted art.

"Explore More" section includes a map of the seven continents, and information related to the phases of the moon.

Subject: Dreams -- Juvenile fiction.
Geographic Term:
Moon -- Juvenile fiction.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful silhouettes display a girl's journey around the world and how the moon follows/changes with her location. After the story, additional facts and activities are recommended for the curious reader. One of these pages highlights the places visited around the world and asks readers to match them with the book's illustrations. This would be a great book for teachers to use while teaching the moon cycle. Art teachers will also like this book for inspiring silhouette art.