One Round Moon and a Star for Me - Hardcover

Ingrid Mennen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845070240 ISBN 13: 9781845070243

Publisher: Gardners Books

Synopsis

A young African boy watches a shooting star falling for his Mama's new baby. The whole village comes together to provide gifts for mother and child. But when he sees his papa smiling at the baby's tiny hands which are just like Papa's own hands, his heart grows dark, like a night with no moon. At last he asks, "Papa, are you really my Papa too?" Set against the backdrop of a rural South African village, Mennen's lyrical text coupled with Daly's evocative illustrations are filled with light and darkness; friendship and community spirit; love and hope, telling the universal story of a young boy's journey to discover his own place in the world.

About this title

About the Author:

Ingrid Mennen studied Languages and Art History at the University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch. She has recently returned to the University of Cape Town as a mature student, to further her studies in English literature. Ingrid's other titles include Somewhere in Africa, co-written with Niki Daly and illustrated by Nicolaas Maritz. One Round Moon was selected to represent South African children's books at the IBBY Conference in Groningen. Niki Daly lives in South Africa with his wife, illustrator Jude Daly. He has written and illustrated many books for Frances Lincoln including the loveable Jamela books, Once Upon a Time and the spiritually up-lifting Fly, Eagle, Fly! by Christopher Gregowski.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this story set in rural South Africa, a young boy whose mother is expecting a new baby sees a falling star. He follows the moon and the sun across the sky and watches and participates in the traditions surrounding a birth unfold: putting stalks of grass above the door to warn men not to enter until "the inkaba-cord falls from the baby's belly"; makoties (young girls) bringing water for the baby; relatives bringing useful gifts. Finally, Papa comes and kneels to look at the infant. "'I'm the baby's father,'" he says with a smile. Later that night, he reassures his worried older son that he's his father, too. The spare, almost poetic text conveys the warmth and delight the boy finds in his world and his home, as well as the feelings of jealousy and concern that a new sibling brings. The pencil and watercolor illustrations further draw readers into the child's world and point of view. The use of pencil lines and shading to add detail and definition to the soft watercolors is especially skillful. This is an example of a multicultural picture book at its best, combining the universal and the particular while not skimping on quality or emotion.
Stephen Del Vecchio, Family Academy, New York City
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Gardners Books
• ISBN 10: 1845070240
• ISBN 13: 9781845070243
• Binding: Hardcover