Title: Morty and the Moon
Author/Illustrator: José Lucio
Age Group: 1-4
Synopsis: Morty has a hard time making friends with his nocturnal habits but finds an unlikely friend in the moon.
The Lowdown:
I’m not sure what it is about the moon but my children have been obsessed with it at varying stages in their life. My mother would argue that got that from me (as I child I could always find the moon) but I’m pretty sure it’s not genetic. Either way Morty and the Moon is a great read for littles that love all things lunar.
Morty has tried to make friends but come up a bit short until he realizes that the moon seems to be all alone in the sky. Morty flies to the moon and it turns out he’s right. He and the moon get along great and they both have similar sleep schedules. But every subsequent day the moon changes until he completely disappears. Morty is worried about his friend and then he reappears a few nights later and all is well. It’s a sweet little story about friendship. My only trouble with it is that I can’t tell if the text is supposed to rhyme or not. It throws off my cadence when I’m reading.
What really shines though is the illustrations. Lucio does a spectacular job of combining textures to give drawings that might feel simplistic much more depth. His little bat, Morty, is absolutely adorable with his round glasses and enthusiastic attitude. Morty’s expressions and antics make the kids giggle. His moon also, perfectly morphs with the waxing and waning phases. I was a bit worried the moon might look a bit wonky as he lost half his face but Lucio smoothly transitions him from one look to the next.
Story Tips:
- You can discuss the moons phases and then point them out the next time you see the moon. Can you see Morty too up there?
I need more!
José Lucio has a couple other books out with the same illustration style. Check out more of his work here: http://www.joselucio.com/books
I received this book in exchange for an honest review but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
