Impossible Moon
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A young girl undertakes an impossible trip to the moon, makes friends with the stars, and brings back something priceless in this gentle and lyrically told picture book about family, history, and memory.
Grana used to tell the best stories, and Mable used to long to soar through the heavens. Nowadays, Grana mostly lies in bed and Mable stays close to home. But one day, Grana asks, “If we can touch the moon, then what is impossible?”
So Mable decides to do just that, embarking on a journey through the stars where The Seven Sistahs, The Big Dipper, and other constellations help her on her quest and teach her about African mythology and African American history. With the support of her new companions, Mable reaches for her biggest dream yet: to make her sick grandma well again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Black child named Mable grapples with her Grana's illness by undertaking an expedition through the constellations in an attempt to touch the moon—and "make impossible things possible." Among the stars, Mable sips from a drinking gourd (the Big Dipper), encounters a lion (Leo), and catches a ride on a massive dog (Canis Major, calmed with "Sit!" and "Who'sagoodboy?"). Engel's richly flowing, layered oil and acrylic art offers vibrant depictions of the brave child as she travels past smiling twins (Gemini) before persuading an archer with long, many-hued locs (Orion) to shoot her like an arrow at the moon, with support for her efforts provided by the Pleiades ("each sistah cradling her and sharing lullabies"). As back matter details, McDaniel's deliberate storytelling draws thoughtfully on history and mythology while centering Black representation among the stars. Through Mable, this spin on a star story offers a positive example of the importance of reaching for the impossible. Ages 4–8.
