Moonlight: The Halloween Cat

by Cynthia Rylant, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

A special Halloween treat

Softly padding through the darkness, Moonlight the cat explores the world on her favorite night. With eloquently simple words and luminous, dazzling paintings, moonlight evokes the excitement of Halloween in a beautifully warm and reassuring way—giving the very youngest of readers a cozy, friendly Halloween experience.

Celebrated author Cynthia Rylant pairs with the gifted Melissa Sweet to tell a lyrical tale of smiling pumpkins, glowing stars, and a very happy Halloween cat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064438148
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/28/2009
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Rylant's gift for conveying the enchantment and beauty to be found in everyday life is seen in such award-winning books as Missing May, winner of the Newbery Medal; A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book; and The Relatives Came and When I Was Young in the Mountains, both Caldecott Honor Books.

Books she's written and illustrated include the much-beloved Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven.

Cynthia Rylant grew up in West Virginia. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Melissa Sweet has illustrated many award-winning books for children, including A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book, an NCTE Notable Children's Book, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. She has also written and illustrated Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade, Tupelo Rides the Rails, and Carmine: A Little More Red, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 2005. Her collages and paintings have appeared in the New York Times and Martha Stewart Living.

Editorial Reviews

A gorgeous paean to night, cats, the moon and Halloween.—Elizabeth Ward

The Washington Post

In a gentle holiday outing, Moonlight, a black cat with a pink nose and friendly green eyes, prowls under a starlit Halloween sky. She gazes at glowing jack-o'-lanterns ("Pumpkins smile at her") and, in casual feline style, curls up on a seated scarecrow ("Straw laps welcome her"). Rylant's (Cat Heaven) quiet sentences convey Moonlight's contentment, as do the lazy rolling hillsides and shady pine-green lawns in Sweet's (Bouncing Time) paintings. Mellow Moonlight, who never hisses or puffs her fur, happily crouches in a tree as owls fly by and unhurriedly saunters through a silent graveyard: "It is her favorite night of all." Ages 2-5. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Come follow this black cat as she wanders through town and enjoys her favorite evening of the year. Smiling pumpkins, the comfortable lap of a man made of straw, children in costumes, a full moon, and wild animals such as owls and raccoons are all welcome sights. The oversize book with its lush colors make this a Halloween treat. One double-page spread shows a street of houses with witches, a princess, a bee and others going door-to-door for trick-or-treat while another shows the cat from the back perched on a branch and looking at a huge moon ("yellow and wide"). It is perfect for preschool storyhour and for parents who are introducing their young children to this holiday. It is positive and upbeat, focusing on the light side and leaving out the spooky. The text is short and simple, yet expressive. "Pumpkins smile at her. Straw laps welcome her." This will be very popular with the preschool set. 2003, HarperCollins,
— Sharon Salluzzo

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 2-Told in rhythmic prose that almost purrs when read aloud, this black cat's story enchants with a perfect blend of art and text. On the opening spread, Moonlight waits patiently for readers to catch up with her in a pumpkin patch of vibrant orange. Then, she walks across rolling meadows, along fences, and past hay fields. "Moonlight walks the night. She sees lights going off in the houses. Now only pumpkins will shine." The feline snuggles affectionately on the lap of a man made of straw and watches many splendors of the night, including trick-or-treating children and reflections of stars on a pond. Sweet's acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations bring the feline and the pumpkins to life. Luminously serene blues and greens predominate and harmonize with the cozy, comforting moods and emotions the text evokes. Especially enchanting is the close-up illustration of Moonlight's back as she sits placidly on a tree branch, facing a huge, yellow moon. The varying perspectives throughout the book are bound to keep even the youngest children intrigued.-James K. Irwin, Poplar Creek Main Library, Steamwood, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Moonlight's a night-loving, night-prowling cat, but Halloween night's her special favorite. She revels in the smiling pumpkins, "straw laps" of neighborhood scarecrows, and costumed children that make Halloween so unique. A carelessly dropped piece of candy doesn't hurt either, and under Halloween moonlight, Moonlight the cat joyously laps it up. Yet another, though not especially memorable, addition to the Halloween canon, Rylant's very simple text makes a good holiday read-aloud for the very young. Sweet's illustrations, mostly double-paged in acrylic and colored-pencil are rich and bold and have loads of child appeal. Surely some will take this as an example of looking differently at the deep darkness of night and all its splendors. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews