Monday, November 23, 2015

Jude's Moon and I Wish

It's difficult to find good children's' books that give valuable lessons and help children learn.

Too often the children books are written so children have a hard time understanding them.  So too illustrations are either too simple are too complicated.

It's difficult to find a happy medium.

Author Nancy Guettier has found that balance.
Her books are easy to understand and are complemented by simple, yet colorful illustrations that hint at realism yet retain a childlike quality, whoever the artist might be.

I Wish follows the adventures of two best friends who find a magic wand that grants wishes.  The best friends think about what they would wish for.  The only problem is each wish would separate the two friends.

They conclude that the very bet wish is to have a best friend-something they already have.
The lesson: often our wishes show us that we already have what we need-in this case a good friend.
In Jude's Moon young Jude sees the Moon during the daytime.  His imagination takes hold as the book explores various facts about the Moon coupled with Jude's imaginative scenarios.

In the end Jude uses the Moon as nightlight.  It's a delightful way for children to learn interesting facts about the Moon coupled with childlike imaginings.

Jude's Moon is illustrated by Tina Cash Walsh and I wish is drawn by Meegan Barnes.

Both books are published by Morgan James Publishing.