Oh how I love this picture book! It's colourful, friendly, warm and interactive. The language is gentle and lyrical and perfect for bedtime reading and children will love the simple, engaging illustrations as they count along with the moon.The moon rises in the evening to discover everything has gone topsy-turvy. Those animals who should be asleep are awake and those who should be awake are sleeping! The moon goes about setting things right as he lights the stars one by one.
The first star he lights is for the dog, who yawns and goes to sleep. The second is for the cats, who stretch and head out to prowl. And so it goes, until the sky is full of shining stars and all the farm animals are happily doing what they should at night time.
The best part is the die-cut stars that increase on each page as the moon lights them. Perfect for curious little fingers to poke, look through and count! The number of animals on each page also corresponds to the number of stars lit, so when the moon lights the fifth star for the pigs, five little pigs lie down to sleep, and when the moon lights the sixth star for the foxes, six foxes sniff the air and head out.
This is such a lovely book for reading aloud with kids. The animals all look so friendly, from the smiling cows asleep on the grass to the cheeky bats smiling as they flutter into the night. In addition to enjoying a great story, kids will practice counting and learn that some animals wake up at night when others go to sleep.
This one has been around for a few years but it’s such a charming book and well worth looking out for.
Title: When the Moon Smiled
Author/Illustrator: Petr Horáček
Publisher: Walker Books, $16.99
Publication Date: 1st November 2005
Format: Soft Cover
ISBN: 9780744570472
For ages: 2 – 5
Type: Picture Book
