This book is set during the summer of 1969 and features America’s first landing on the moon. The main character, a young African American girl named Mae, recounts the events of that day and her family’s experience. This story encourages readers to set goals for themselves and dream big. It also highlights a very significant event in American history. This book is both educational and entertaining. This one is for older kids, maybe 6-10. It chokes me up when I read it because anything about following your dreams and the moon landing usually gets to me, and this has both. An African American family experiences the moon landing, from the perspective of the oldest granddaughter, as they discuss it, pretend to be astronauts, see the news on television, and then watch the moon during an evening picnic. The artwork is watercolor, with lots of implied movement, showing scenes of the family activities and the moon mission. It goes into specifics about the mission, which is why it went above my 4 year old's head, but she was still enthralled by the space pictures and the idea that this family was a part of it somehow. The juxtaposition of the African American family, at the end of the 60's, and the progress represented by traveling to the moon, was poignant. When you think of the fact that the first African American woman astronaut would have been 12 years old at the time of the story, it shows the power of dreams.
What do You think about The Moon Over Star (2008)?
2009 CSKing Illustrator Honorfabulous illustrations with a great story about dreams.
—YarnDragon
Finally, a picture book that has a story with some depth. Beautiful illustrations.
—suada1234
Stunning story of dreaming and living, the illustrations are equally stunning
—Neel
