Picture Book Review - Imani's Moon by JaNay Brown-Wood

Oh my word, such a stack of books to blog about! I've been reading and loving so many books lately - it seems like a great season for multicultural and diverse titles, at long last. Lots of these titles are by authors or illustrators whose work I've previously enjoyed, but every once in a while a new artist sneaks in and captures my heart. I *love* when that happens!

Today's pick is just such a title - one that I saw the cover for and instantly knew I had to read it. Take a look at this image and tell me Imani's Moon isn't going on your TBR list for that picture alone:

I'm quite happy to say that the book delivers nicely on the promise of that cover. Author JaNay Brown-Wood based Imani's Moon on the legends and culture of the Maasai people, who can be found in Kenya and Tanzania. Sprinkling in a bit of Maasai tribal dancing and a good dose of traditional Maasai storytelling, Brown-Wood created the story of Imani, a tiny girl who is mocked by others for her small stature. Imani is captivated by her mother's stories of Olapa, the moon goddess, and longs to touch the moon in honor of her heroine. But the task seems impossible, and Imani's initial efforts fail, garnering more jeers from the children in her village. Should Imani give up her unachievable dream?

Brown-Wood does an excellent job of blending mystical and realistic in Imani's Moon. Talking animals and feats of the fantastic are key components of her story. While kids aren't likely to believe that (spoiler alert) Imani really touches the moon, they will internalize the message that Imani's mama tells her: "(a) challenge is only impossible until someone accomplishes it." Those are powerful words, just the kind of thing I want Sprout to have implanted firmly in his head as he goes forth in the world.

I can't close out this review without mentioning the illustrations by Hazel Mitchell, because they really tremendous. Brown-Wood's text pays honor to the Maasai, as do Mitchell's illustrations, showing them as a joyous and soulful people who live close to the land and revere their traditions. Sprout especially enjoyed the spread showing the Maasai warriors dancing - it's an arresting image that evokes the spirit of this gathering, a celebration and a ritual that is deeply embedded in Maasai culture. Mitchell uses color to evoke emotions as well, keeping the moon a focal point as it is for Imani herself.

Don't miss Imani's Moon, a great addition to collections for its focus on bravery, honoring oneself and never giving up. Let the magic sweep you up, as it does Imani, to touch the moon.

Imani's Moon by JaNay Brown-Wood, published by Mackinac Island Press
Ages 4-6
Source: Library
Recommended

Bonus: read more about author JaNay Brown-Wood in the Multicultural Children's Book Day Spotlight

30 Days of Picture Books - The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

It's Day 3 of Picture Book Month, and what's on my mind today is story. Sure, picture books are all about illustrations, but the story's pretty important too, right? Word choice had better be spot on in a picture book, nothing out of place because you're communicating a narrative all in the scantest of lines. I don't know about you, but if there are more than a few paragraphs on each page, I'm sure to have a restless little one on my hands, and then we're off to find another choice. So the first credo of picture book writers would seem to be choose your words carefully.

But what if you decide not to choose your words at all? I'm speaking, of course, about wordless picture books, something that might not immediately seem strong in narrative, but which have a hidden strength that goes beyond the written word. You see what's so great about wordless books is that you get to tell the story any way you want to. Kids love this - it's what they do, after all, as pre-readers when they sit down to "read" a book to their stuffies. And with the wordless picture book, adults get to experience that phenomenon too. The book's creator gives us the framework within which we can emphasize whatever aspects and nuance seem most significant to us.

In our home library, one wordless book in particular stands out, and for good reason - it's easily one of the best examples of the genre out there. I'm speaking of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & the Mouse, a Caldecott Award Winner and all-around gorgeous piece of graphic storytelling.

The plot is of course based on the fable by Aesop, wherein a tiny mouse is captured by a lion who then, for whatever reason, lets the mouse go. And soon the lion finds himself in trouble, as he is ensnared by hunters - but the little mouse and his friends come to the rescue, chewing through the net that holds the lion and setting the mighty king of the jungle free. As in all fables, we have a lesson to take away: always perform an act of kindness when you have the opportunity, for you never know when you will need kindness in return.

In Pinkney's skilled control, the narrative becomes so much more. Honestly, if you're looking for visual splendor you couldn't do better. Even the end pages are a feast for the eyes, as we're taken immediately into the landscape of Eastern Africa, where Pinkney's version is set. Young readers will love poring over the detail of each page, noticing the curls in the lion's mane or the spiderweb clinging to a strand of grass. And they'll revel in the chance to tell you a story, if you let them - one time through is all most kids are likely to need before they want to relate the tale in their own words, a recounting that's never the same twice.

Linger over the experience of The Lion & the Mouse together, for it really is the kind of book you want to visit again and again.

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, published by Little, Brown

Picture Book Review -- Lala Salama by Patricia MacLachlan

One of the things I was most looking forward to, in the days and weeks and months and (yes, even) years that we prepared to become parents was the prospect of reading to our Sprout. Cuddling up with my kiddo in a cozy chair, with a big stack of picture books -- pretty much my idea of heaven.

And I'm pleased to say that, more than 18 months into the process of parenting this little bug, the experience continues to delight me. It is without question our favorite time of day, and it's time we spend as a family, since Daddy and our puppy dog join us too. Most of our reading is done while Sprout's in the bathtub, which works for us, but we always save at least one book for when he's tucked up in bed. Usually I try to steer him toward more "active" titles at first, and then pull out a gentle, calmer tale for that last title of the night.

In that vein, Patricia MacLachlan's Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby could not be more perfect. Gentle and soothing, this would be a fantastic choice to read with a drowsy baby or toddler, or even an older child who may be reading parts of it to you. The book follows a Tanzanian family through their day, as mother and child spend the day together, working in the fields, preparing meals, enjoying the cool breezes from Lake Tanganyika. Elizabeth Zunon brings MacLachlan's simple text to life, capturing the rolling rhythm of the day in the serenity of the mother's countenance and the bright eyes of her baby. At the end of the day, Mama and baby watch  Baba's boat out on the lake, and Mama rocks her child to sleep, safe in the knowledge that he is loved and well cared for.

I'm always on the lookout for quality titles about East Africa to share with Sprout, and the sensitive portrayals in Lala Salama fill the bill. Plus, it's a simply gorgeous title for us to marvel over and read aloud, in that hushed cocoon of evening when stories bring us all together. Add this to your family bedtime routine -- after a busy day, it's just the thing.

Lala Salama by Patricia MacLachlan, published by Candlewick Press
All ages
Personal collection (full disclosure: I won this from a contest hosted by Cynthia Leitich Smith on her blog Cynsations -- if you don't read this a-ma-zing blog, you should!)
Recommended