I Know the Moon

By Stephen Axel Anderson, Illustrated By Greg Couch
Published by Philomel Books
ISBN #9780399234255, 039923425X

Arguably the most significant impact on early childhood literacy is the ritual of the bedtime story. Curling up with your adored little one, and diving into the furthest corners of a child's imagination not only make up precious moments sure to be fondly remembered, but these experiences also form the basis most important for the acquisition of literacy: a love of reading.

In his book, I Know the Moon, Anderson has captured the very essence of a bedtime story with a soft, rhythmic lullaby, and a positively captivating story. I Know the Moon follows the journey of several forest animals as they seek true knowledge of the moon. As each animal describes their own perception of the moon, stunning metaphors dance off the page, and readers young and old are challenged to consider the possibility of multiple truths in our world.

The illustrations in this book do as much to stimulate the imagination as the story does, and you'll find yourself pausing to simply gaze at the sleepy pictures that calm you, and entice you to join the dreamland. 

Children love to learn about animals, and the idea of how each of the different forest animals might experience the moon is a conversation that can easily continue into daytime activities. A walk through the forest will quickly turn into and exploration of the imagination without end.

Learning to read is about more than learning to interpret letters and words. It is about experiencing a story, and falling in love with a book, and with the experience of reading. Reading is a shared experience between children and the adults that care for them, and it starts with the most iconic of childhood pleasures, the bedtime story. I Know the Moon is just that.