Toddler Book ReviewFool Moon RisingKristi and T. Lively Fluharty

Dear God,
I heard a cosmic story
And wondered if it's true.
The moon was stealing glory
And this is what he'd do.

...so begins this imaginative tale about the moon's attempt to steal glory from the Sun. Fool Moon Rising is a story about pride and honesty, ultimately teaching our little ones about the importance of humility in God's great light. We see the moon's foolishness as he proudly proclaims to the world what a great light he is, "until one day a piercing ray showed him a shocking sight."

He saw his pride and then he cried
For all that he had done.
For he had lied when he denied
His light came from the Sun."

In the final pages we see the moon pointing all toward the Sun... the true source of his light. It is a gorgeous portrayal of sin and repentance.

There is a half or whole stanza on each page, so it's a little more wording to take in than a board book, but not too overwhelming for a two-year-old who enjoys reading. My 22-month-old son usually wants to absorb each page at least long enough for me to read all the words. The beautiful illustrations are enough to keep him focused. The theme reads clearly, although probably wouldn't be understood until age 3 or 4. My younger toddler, however, has come to recognize the ideas of prayer, remorse and joy as he's become more familiar with the story.

For as many times as I've read this to Maddox in the past two weeks, I still haven't gotten sick of it, and even my husband commented (totally unprompted!) about how much he likes "that moon book." Now THAT'S saying something! I would recommend Fool Moon Rising for any child 3 and up, or a younger toddler who likes to read... or likes pictures of the moon. :)