Book review: The Moon, by Hannah Pang, illustrated by Thomas Hegbrook

Pang, Hannah. The Moon. Illus. by Thomas Hegbrook. 360 Degrees/Tiger Tales, 2019. 175p. $19.99. ISBN 978-1-944530-24-2. Ages 9-14. P7Q8

Glorious one- and two-page colored digital illustrations enhance the verbal collage of moon-related art and science: literature, history, myths and legends, language, religion, architecture, and film in addition to factual information and trivia (such as scorpions being fluorescent) to details about travel to the moon and stepping foot on it. One debatable fact in the book is that a “blue moon” is the 13^th full moon in one year instead of two full moons within one calendar month, but that is a minor quibble.

Verdict: Fascinating information in an accessible fashion makes the book a delight to dip into from time to time. One problem might be that the large amount of white space surrounding text and illustrations resulted in small print. The fragmented style of the book provides launching points for study about the moon’s influence. Recommended.

June 2019 review by Nel Ward.