The Moon Shines Down
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The Moon Shines Down
by Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by Linda Bleck
Forgotten for decades in a dusty, tucked-away trunk, The Moon Shines Down brings to life once more the unmistakable voice of Margaret Wise Brown. This soon-to-be classic allows a whole new generation of children to discover, cherish, and enjoy the artistry of this beloved author.
Never before published, The Moon Shines Down on children all over the world from right next door to across the sea, from where "a Dutch boy dreams" and "cowbells ring" to "across the sea in the Far, Far East", through the familiar prayer:
I see the Moon
And the Moon sees me.
God bless the Moon,
And God bless me.
Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952) was a pioneer of children's literature, choosing to write the stories that children wanted to hear-rather than those that grown-ups wanted to tell. She is best known for her now classic Good Night Moon and Runaway Bunny, which remain among the world's best-selling children's books.
Margaret was a prolific writer, and, at the peak of her career, she had over 100 books in print. Her untimely death left numerous manuscripts and ideas behind in various stages of completion. After a time, these were tucked away in a cedar trunk and largely forgotten. It is from this forgotten trunk that The Moon Shines Down was rescued.
Illustrator Linda Bleck began her artistic career as a child, drawing on rolls of old blueprint paper supplied by her architect father. Later, she helped her mother, a freelance illustrator for Hallmark, paint in the details of her intricate drawings. Linda's work has appeared in The NewYorker, Time Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. She is also the writer and illustrator of the "Pepper the Dog" series, which won the National Parenting Publication Award.
Linda and her family now live in southern Wisconsin . . . where the moon shines down on them, one and all.
The Story Behind the Lost Manuscript . . .
The Moon Shines Down
from MARGARET WISE BROWN,
the Author of Goodnight Moon
The Moon Shines Down is being published for the first time 56 years after the death of the beloved children's author Margaret Wise Brown.
Amazingly, this unpublished manuscript lay incomplete and forgotten in a cedar trunk in a Vermont barn. When it was discovered, the onionskin paper had yellowed and the paperclips that held the pages together had rusted. Children's book publisher, Laura Minchew, a longtime fan of Brown, took on the challenge to complete the work.
Based on the New England Sampler prayer, "God Bless the Moon and God Bless Me," this soon-to-be bedtime classic is a prayer for God's blessing on all the world's children.
DESCRIPTION:
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 242.62
EAN: 9781400312993
ISBN: 140031299X
Label: Thomas Nelson
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 48
Publication Date: 2008-11-04
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Studio: Thomas Nelson
SIMILAR ITEMS:
• Dirt on My Shirt
• Big Words for Little People
• Goodnight Moon
• Forever Young
• If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (If You Give... Books)
CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Moon Shines Down
Comment: This book is based on a lost (and unfinished) manuscript by Margaret Wise Brown (author of the beloved Goodnight Moon). That manuscript was based on an English nursery rhyme:
I see the moon
and the moon sees me
God bless the moon
and God bless me.
I have admit that I'm not the most ardent fan of Margaret Wise Brown. Goodnight Moon, for example has an odd rhyme scheme/rhythm and the illustrations could be called uninspiring. But it is a book that grows on you because so many children respond so strongly to it. There's something about the combination of the cadence of the story and simplicity of the drawings that is appealing to very young children. Just don't even get me started on The Runaway Bunny.
So, about this book - The general gist of the `story' is that the moon shines its light all over the world. There is a little poem and illustrations for different regions of the world. It has the same odd rhyming pattern as Goodnight Moon. Some of the rhymes are good. Others are a little clunky.
The illustrations are similarly hit or miss. I really liked the idea of representations of children from all around the world with foreign back drops to match. The drawings have a vintage 1950s feel and some are really striking with vibrant colors. The children from the Far East are just too precious for words. Others are just so-so.
I think this book will really appeal to religious families since there is a clear message of Christian faith through out the book. It will also appeal to families who want to expose their children to a global perspective.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great illustration, terrible rhythm and rhyme
Comment: We bought this book because our daughter is obsessed with the moon and we also enjoy reading Goodnight Moon, however Goodnight Moon is in a different class from this book. It seems to me that this book was written by someone that has not the basic grasp of writing rhythm and rhyme. The rhyming in the text in places is bad and other times it is simply awful. Not sure how this got past an editor. I don't have the book in front of my but I know one particular stinker is the Mexico page, where the writer writes something like "God bless the children in Mexico and the Toucan with her funny nose"??? (This line was supposed to rhyme!) I find this book very awkward to read.
The saving grace, and the reason I gave the book 2 stars is that the book is very nicely illustrated, which my daughter loves. I tend to avoid reading the text and make up stories of our own, about the animals or people in the book.
This book's text is a major let-down, we quite often show it to our friends for fun to see there reactions to the awful rhymes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Moon Shines Down
Comment: For gifts I always liked Margaret Wise Brown's "Goodnight Moon," and was pleased to find "The Moon Shines Down" for a third birthday gift. Good story and pictures, showing children of the world in their home country. Children will enjoy looking for the little bear-like "tour guide" in each picture.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A sweet prayer with international flair
Comment: Margaret Wise Brown, author of the children's book classics Goodnight, Moon and Runaway Bunny, died in 1952 leaving behind a trunk of never published works and pieces. The Moon Shines Down is one such book, now published for the first time.
This book is based on the English prayer "God bless the moon and God bless me." Through its pages readers travel the world, from Switzerland to Korea, Australia to Mexico to France and Africa and several places in between. At each stop they learn, along with their koala guide, a little about that place and the children who live there, then pray a blessing over all those the moon sees. For example:
I see the Moon and the Moon sees me,
And the Moon sees the Dutch boy
Far over the sea.
When the tulips bloom by the Zuider Zee,
O God bless him and God bless me."
Brown's original manuscript was seamlessly completed by Laura Minchew. Linda Bleck illustrated the book with Brown-like style and colors.
What I Like: If your children like Goodnight, Moon, they'll love this! It offers a tone and style so similar, yet completely unique content. My kids really enjoy this book. I like the international flare, the tidbits of information about regions around the world. Because of the book's repetition and rhyme, this is a good choice for beginning readers.
What I Dislike: "Moon" is capitalized throughout the book. The only other word consistently capitalized is the name of God. This stylistic choice seems to imply deity. The flow and rhyme were not always perfect. This book is definitely not equal to Brown's other works, but I still recommend it.
Overall Rating: Very Good.
Special Note: It's clear the "me" in this book, the koala telling the story, lives in North America. If you live outside the United States or Canada (two nations never actually mentioned in the book), your child may be a bit confused.
Tanya -- Christian Children's Book Review
Customer Rating:
Summary: A New Classic
Comment: This is a beautiful, well-written book by the author of Goodnight Moon and Big Red Barn (rpkg). It was undiscovered and unpublished until now, and since the manuscript wasn't quite long enough, extra verses have been written by Laura Minchew.
The words and rhythm are just beautiful. In my opinion, Minchew has done a fabulous job in matching Brown's style.
This book is about the moon shining down on children all over the world. My son and I both love this book!
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