The Moon

An ambitious exploration of the Earth’s celestial companion touches on an eclectic array of topics, including what makes the moon a moon, the science of tides, phases of the moon, how the moon affects animal behavior, lunar exploration, and ways the moon influenced human myths, cultural beliefs, and creative expression. Hegbrook’s slick digital illustrations adorn every spread, and one-page moon myths and literary excerpts (the Tlingit’s “Raven and How the Tides Began”; a section of Jules Verne’s De la Terre á la Lune) punctuate nonfiction segments. Discussions of the moon’s influence on art, music, and literature are limited, though, and sections on how the moon influences human physical rhythms are speculative. Despite the breadth of information, disparate thematic explorations fail to cohere into a compelling whole, leaving the reader with the sensation of loosely related fragments adrift in space. Ages 8–11. ([em]Apr.) [/em]