THE DAY MOON AND EARTH HAD AN ARGUMENT
DAVID DUFF (illus. Noemi Vola)
Princeton Architectural Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$18.99 hardcover, available now
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Embark on an astronomical adventure through the solar system with this whimsical picture book that begins with a little rift in one of the most celebrated relationships in the universe.
All friends have disagreements. But when the friends are the Moon and planet Earth, the consequences are pretty cosmic!
After 4.5 billion years together, Moon has had enough of Earth. So, she packs her things and sets off to see what the solar system has to offer. On her galactic tour, Moon sweeps young readers along on a delightful and educational journey.
From scorching Venus to giant Jupiter, Moon encounters the oddities and charms of all the other planets on her journey. But as she reaches the cold and lonely edge of the solar system, she begins to wonder whether Earth is really so bad after all . . .
With vibrant illustrations, a dash of humor, and heartfelt explorations of emotions like anger and empathy, this children’s book about friendship beautifully conveys the value of connection and the invaluable lesson that sometimes what we’re looking for is closer than we think.
Offering a fun and practical review of the planets and their characteristics throughout, The Day Moon and Earth Had an Argument also includes two full spreads at the back of the book filled with fascinating facts about our solar system, information about gravity, how the moon was formed, and more.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I just can't with this book! It's so completely, beguilingly adorable. I love the art, which of course is utterly subjective. I'm also a big fan of sneaking two kinds of message into one story...astronomy lessons, emotional guidance, and the commonsensical way they're framed together. The farther away from each other Earth and Moon get, the less things are familiar, and that's scientifically accurate as well as a good thing to reinforce about friendship in this very young (four or so on the lap-reader end, maybe six or a slower seven independently reading) target group.
In offering sneaky factual lessons while addressing a very real emotional problem lots of kids will face as they move outside the family circle. Friendship is a skill, one we're all wise to maintain with care. Anger, feeling hurt, not understanding what just happened or knowing what to do about it...all those things are dealt with (while sneaking in astronomy lessons).
Making things right is hard, but it can be done, and it's a big accomplishment when it's done. Wonderful little tale delivering a big message (and sneaking in cool facts in its pretty illustrations).
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