Welcome to the first instalment of our weekly feature here on Barefoot in Langley: Book of the Week!
Every week on Friday a Barefoot Book will be given the spotlight here. I’ll talk a bit about the book, share a picture or two, and talk about what kids will get out of the book and why I think the book is special. (Well, first off — it’s a book!)
This week’s book is I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis.
That thumb belongs to me. 😉
A bit about the book: I Took the Moon for a Walk is about a child who goes for a walk and talks about how the moon is following him. It’s done in the form of a lyrical poem and accompanied by beautiful illustrations. It’s available in large format board book or in paperback, and there’s also a Spanish version.
This is the first Barefoot Book I picked up and read and it’s definitely a favourite. The illustrations are gorgeous and the book is fun to read out loud.
What kids will get out of this book and why it’s special: I think it’s great that the book shows the moon as a friendly entity that, while being high up in the sky, is not emotionally distant. The child in the book sees the moon as his friend and companion, which helps make the night seem not so scary. Also great about this book is at the back it teaches children about the phases of the moon and nocturnal animals, so it’s educational too. (Many Barefoot Books are.) The lyrical poem not only helps foster a love of poetry, it inspires a sense of wonder in nature and the nighttime.
I may be biased, as I am already a nighttime and moon-lover, but I think it’s important for kids to see the moon as friendly, and the night as not so scary. Yes, there are scary things in the night, but there are scary things in the day, too — it’s important to be aware of what is scary without writing off an entire time period as 100% scary. I think humans naturally are scared of the dark because we are often such visual creatures and it can be hard to see — but the moon can help us there, at least on the nights that she’s gibbous or full.
(Also, it probably goes without saying but I find this a great book for pagan parents, especially if honoring the moon is part of your practice. This book will be featured on my Books for Pagan Parents series when it starts up.)
-Katje