In this lilting kickoff to the My Living World board book series, Salazar (Jovita Wore Pants) delivers a cycle-oriented bedtime story informed by Mexican Indigenous wisdom. When young Cielito spots the moon, Mami teaches the child “what our ancestors told me” by way of explaining the changing orb’s influence (“She affects every natural thing: water and plantas, and animals like you and me”). Focusing on each lunar phase, affectionate English text interspersed with italicized Spanish explains which stage works best for setting intentions, growing, celebrating, and resting. During a new moon, for example, “It’s time to go inside,/ your body soft and mellow,/ and imagine your sweetest wishes.” And when the moon waxes (“her sparkly head/ peeking out from beneath/ her shadowy blanket”), “It’s time to grow,/ and work hard to make/ your wishes, tus deseos, awaken.” Benavides (The Extraordinary Book that Makes You Feel Happy) visualizes a loving familial relationship against a dynamic cerulean night sky as the child uses their newfound knowledge to engage with another natural progression: that of growing a plant from seed. Stylized animals appear in the sky almost like constellations, where they too act according to each phase. Warm and fluidly told, it’s a lovely starting point for discussions about the natural world. Ages 2–4. Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Karen Kaller, IllustrationX. (Feb.)

Toddler-PreS —As an engaging first entry in the "My Living World" series, this story in verse offers young readers and their caregivers a rewarding opportunity to think about and marvel at the moon's phases through the lens of Mexican Indigenous folklore. Set at nighttime, a young girl learns about the moon's four primary phases from her mother, who speaks of their family's traditional stories and reveals the strong connections between the moon and life on earth with poetic detail. Key Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the lyrical composition, delicately highlighting and celebrating the story's roots in Mexican culture. Readers will find it easy to share in the wonder expressed by their fellow listener, the young girl, as she thrives under her mother's warm attention and seems happily entranced by the moon in her many appearances throughout the story. The girl's mother describes each phase of the moon in connection to how a living thing may feel or grow, from awakening to flourishing to sleeping, all of which are reflected in the illustrations of assorted animals, as well as depictions of the young girl in her room. Colorful stars and dots flicker across the pages, filling gaps between the finely lined figures and surrounding an expansive white moon, while a charming mix of flat forms and touches of imperfect lines adds texture and life to solid backgrounds. While best suited for bedtime due to how the story winds down, this book can also match a child's interest about the moon at any time of day. VERDICT Through a beautiful blend of English interwoven with Spanish words, the lyrical presentation of this board book about the moon's phases carries a genuine note of wonder and proud revelation, grounding the story shared between a mother and her daughter in their family's Mexican Indigenous heritage.—Rachel Mulligan