Welcome back to the Moon Book
Parade, highlighting some fantastic 2023 picture books that feature the Moon.
You can scroll down to see earlier posts in this series. Here’s a list of all
the books:
Full Moon Pups by
Liz Garton Scanlon
and Chuck Groenink
Night Owl Night by Susan Edwards Richmond
and Maribel Lechuga
A Few Beautiful
Minutes: Exploring a Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox and Khoa Le
Museum on the Moon: The
Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface by Irene Latham and Myriam Wares
Thank You, Moon:
Celebrating Nature’s Night Light by Melissa Stewart and Jessica
Lanan.
All
the creators have generously agreed to donate two copies of their book for a
double five-book giveaway. Leave a comment on any of the posts and share it on
Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to be eligible. We’ll announce the two winners
at 6:26 p.m. ET on October 28, when viewers on the East Coast will have a
chance to enjoy a partial lunar eclipse.
So where are we in the lunar
cycle? Saturday is the Full Falling Leaves Moon, a name that traces back to
native traditions of the Ojibway,
Lakota/Sioux, Chippewa, Arapaho, and Cree. And as I mentioned above, there will
also be a partial lunar eclipse that viewers on the East Coast may be lucky
enough to witness at 6:26 p.m. local time.
Today, we’re concluding the Moon Book Parade with Thank You, Moon:
Celebrating Nature’s Night Light. I’ve been sharing the story behind my
creative process on Tuesdays this month, so today I’ve invited illustrator Jessica
Lanan
to discuss her role in creating the book.
Greetings, Jessica. I’m so
grateful that our editor, Katherine Harrison, suggested you as an artist for Thank You, Moon. I love the illustrations so much! Can you tell us what the Moon
means to you?
JL: Thank you! It was such a treat
to get to illustrate this book and I’m grateful for the opportunity. To me the
moon signifies the marking of time. There’s something comforting about the way
it returns month after month to light up the night. Also, I find that moonlight
itself has a magical, secret quality, and mysteries can hide in the shadows.
Once, while walking on a beach
at night in Florida, I stumbled upon a massive leatherback sea turtle coming
ashore to lay her eggs. It was such an intimate and special encounter between
two species. It’s cool to think about how the moon appears to renew itself in
the sky and also helps make rebirth possible for animals down here on Earth.
What was it about the
manuscript that made you want to illustrate it?
JL: I was hooked by the idea of
painting so many night scenes! It was a fun challenge to come up with ways to
make the night feel different on each page and highlight the diversity of the animals
and plants in the manuscript. And I love the theme around thanking the moon,
showing gratitude for all the benefits we get from Earth’s companion.
What was the most challenging
part of illustrating the book?
JL: Some of the animal reference
images were challenging to come by. I used a lot of plastic animal toys to help
with lighting.
At one point I was working on the sea turtle spread and I set up
a whole scene thinking that I could photograph it outside under the full moon.
Well! As it turns out, the night is dark. I seriously overestimated my
equipment and my night photography skills!
What do you hope readers will
take away from the book?
JL: I hope young readers find
their curiosity piqued by the marvelous things that are happening all around us
during the night, sometimes right outside our doors. We might be sleeping, but
many living things are just getting to work. Picture books are terrific for
planting a little seed of curiosity for children to follow, and I hope this
book helps them consider the night with a new sense of wonder.
Do you have a favorite spread
in the book?
JL: It’s so hard to choose, but
I’m fond of the composition of the nightjar scene with the birds and moths flying
all around. That one came to me right away. The zooplankton were also a lot of
fun to paint.
Can you share a couple other Moon-themed
children’s book that you love?
JL: One of my favorites from my
childhood was THE MOON’S REVENGE, written by Joan Aiken and illustrated by Alan
Lee, about a boy who offends the moon by throwing his shoes at it and as a
result is cursed to live with the moon’s revenge for seven years. The
illustrations by Alan Lee are haunting. I partially credit that book with
developing my interest in watercolor. Also, sea monsters.
Thanks so much for your
illuminating answers! I hope we have a chance to create another book together
in the future.
As I
mentioned above, we’ll be giving away two sets of the five books included in
the Moon Book Parade. There’s still time to qualify by commenting below and
sharing this post on social media. The winners will be announced at 6:26 p.m.
ET on October 28. Good luck!
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