Imani's Moon

by Janay Brown-Wood (Author) Hazel Mitchell (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Little Imani, a young Maasai girl, is the smallest one in her village.

The other children make fun of her and tell her she'll never amount to anything. Imani begins to believe them. At bedtime, Imani's mama tells her traditional stories about the moon goddess Olapa and Anansi the spider. They accomplished what would seem impossible. When Imani decides she wants to touch the moon, she works hard to reach her goal, even though it seems impossible.

Hazel Mitchell's warm and vibrant illustrations take young readers to the plains of Africa, to a place where the animals always have something to say and little girls can touch the moon.

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Kirkus

While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. 

ALA/Booklist

The message of hope and gentle lyrical tone make this the perfect story with which to lull listeners into sweet slumber. Mitchell's watercolor-and-graphite illustrations are filled with movement, emotion, color, and perspective.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--The cover illustration of a small girl, arms outstretched in front of a perfect full moon, invites readers into this story of determination tinged with magical realism. The scene is set on the title page: straw-covered huts, penned cattle, and flat-topped trees on a hilltop in Africa. Watercolor paintings add vibrant color and clear cultural details, for example, the beaded jewelry and characteristic clothing of the Masai. Imani is the smallest child in her village and a target for teasing. Her mother's nighttime stories of the moon goddess Olapa inspire her to try to touch the moon. Undeterred by children's taunts, Imani fails until she observes "young warriors performing the aduma, the jumping dance. Over and over they jumped high into the sky, their heads caressing the clouds." And so, like a warrior, Imani jumps, higher and higher, until she lands on the moon. That night she is the one who tells a story, "The Tale of the Girl Who Touched the Moon." For readers who want to know more about the Masai, pair this title with Virginia Kroll's Masai and I (Aladdin, 1997).--Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Janay Brown-Wood
JaNay Brown-Wood has always had a passion for writing. She loves coming up with new characters and watching them grow. With the publication of Imani's Moon, she has attained her ambition to become a published children's author. She lives in California.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781934133583
Lexile Measure
550
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Charlesbridge Publishing
Publication date
October 14, 2014
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV012020 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Country & Ethnic - General
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
Library of Congress categories
Moon
Self-confidence in children
Self-confidence
Africa
Blacks
Maasai (African people)
Belief and doubt

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