Copyright Date:
2022
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
02/08/22
Illustrator:
Miyares, Daniel,
Pages:
1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN:
0-7352-6630-1
ISBN 13:
978-0-7352-6630-8
Dewey:
E
LCCN:
2020952300
Dimensions:
24 x 28 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)
PreS-Gr 3 Gorgeous illustrations and spare prose tell the story of a young girl and a horse overcoming challenges to help others. The girl and her mother, who appear to be white, spot a white foal who is blind and a sighted black foal companion, and name them Midnight and Moon. Comparisons are drawn between the white foal who is blind (Moon) and the girl, Clara, who does not and seemingly cannot speakeach is noted to have highly perceptive hearing. While Midnight guides Moon and helps out when Moon is unable to follow the pack, Clara attends school and meets her own companion, a dark-haired, light-skinned boy named Jack. When the horses are threatened by a winter snowstorm that obscures their vision, Clara is finally able to whisper the words "Come, Midnightcome Moon." Moon, aurally sensitive, hears her and leads the pack to safety. The appeal of the illustrations, the story of friendship, and the presence of horses will engage children. However, adults may find the story saccharine, and object to a "disability" that is overcome through sheer willpower as a plot device. VERDICT The story offers sweet resolution, but at whose expense? An additional purchase. Mallory Weber
A girl who doesn't fit in befriends a blind horse who also struggles to find his place in the herd. A beautiful picture book that helps readers celebrate the qualities that challenge us and make us different.
Moon cannot see but he hears sounds that other horses ignore: the eggshell crack of a meadow lark hatching. The glide of a salamander into the pond. Clara does not speak but she hears sounds that other children ignore: the hum of the oven when her mother bakes muffins. The sound of the cat's paws on the kitchen floor.
Both the foal and the little girl live with challenges. Both also have special qualities, which are recognized by friends who are open to seeing them. Midnight and Moon is about the rare and wonderful friendship that can form between opposites, a friendship that enriches both. This story shows us that our differences are positives, that the world needs both Claras and Jacks, Midnights and Moons.