Author: Maudie Powell-Tuck
Illustrator: Karl James Mountford
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Ages: 4-8
Eva’s beloved cat Luna has been missing for two days and Eva cannot fall asleep. Thoughts of doom and gloom fill Eva’s head. Is Luna missing? Or is she simply on a trip exploring? Taken on a dreamlike journey by a spirit-guide-wolf, Eva searches for Luna and finds many lost animals along the way.
Peek-a-boo cutout pages, embracing a soft, purple/pink washed palette, are filled with Mountford’s detailed, vivid illustrations. Powell-Tuck’s narrative is deft, evoking a limbo status leaving the reader unsure of their exact surrounding, but always propelling the story forward. Is Eva dreaming? Is she involved in a spiritual quest? Is she simply pretending? Where exactly is the Moonlight Zoo? These questions are ripe for pondering as one explores the book with a young reader.
This picture book is excellent for bedtime, classroom discussion and would also make a good choice for a child that has recently lost a pet. It can easily be adapted (if it’s not already intended for) a discussion about death and dying.
For those that are worried about the ending, it is a happy one. No need to despair.
The Moonlight Zoo (Amazon)*
My thanks to Tiger Tales for providing a Review Copy of this book. All opinions provided herein are my own.
More books for this Age Group can be found here and here.
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