Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer

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Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer was written by Tonya Wilyce Bolden. She is an author and publisher, she was born on March 1, 1959, in New York City to Georgia Bolden, a homemaker, and Willie Bolden, a garment center shipping manager. Bolden grew up in Harlem in a musical family and loved to read; she attended Public M.E.S. 146, an elementary school in Manhattan, and then graduated from the Chapin School, a private secondary school, in Manhattan in 1976.[1]

Summary

This book tells about A young African boy who wakes up at midnight. He has forgotten to say his prayers. Outside his window, a beautiful harvest moon illuminates the city around him and its many inhabitants. As the moon slowly makes its way across the heavens, the boy offers a simple prayer for the homeless, the hungry, and others. Critically acclaimed author Tonya Bolden teams up with award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez to create a richly painted and emotionally complex book that celebrates prayer and kindness while recognizing the diversity of the world around us.[2]

Pros

Susan rated this book four stars because this story showed moving story with a good message. The illustrations were exquisite. The play of light and details of the people, their clothing, their surroundings, etc. caught the mood of the text perfectly. She also really enjoyed the diversity of the characters. The titular child is a young boy of African heritage, soldiers were shown as daughters, people on the food line and in the class are of all backgrounds. Overall, a beautiful book to read and to see (text and illustrations).[3]

Tasya made a detailed review about this book on her site, she explained that Bolden manages to keep this book solely about prayer and the act of praying for others without defining what religion the boy was. Her used of the moon as a unifying factor worked well, creating a book that flows along in a natural way. Bolden’s text was done in poetic form, capturing moments of people in need of prayers with real clarity. Velasquez’s art was luminous. He captures moonlite rooms and places with a cool but also rich light. He celebrated diversity on the page, the people in the images a rich tapestry of color and ethnics. The little boy’s earnest face speaks volumes about the importance of prayer. A nondenominational book about prayers, need and community support, this book celebrates the power of faith in a way that children will easily relate to. It is appropriated for children from 4-6 years old. [4]

References

  1. Tonya Bolden. goodreads.com. Retrieved Jan 19, 2021.
  2. Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer by Tonya Bolden, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. aalbc.com. Retrieved Jan 19, 2021.
  3. Beautiful Moon. goodreads.com. Retrieved Jan 19, 2021.
  4. Tasha. REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL MOON BY TONYA BOLDEN. Nov 6, 2014. wakingbraincells.com. Retrieved Jan 19, 2021.