Also by this author: The Moon Speaks
Published by B&H Kids on May 25, 2021
Genres: Children's
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Children love playing in the dirt, studying the flowers, and marveling at the clouds. The Moon Speaks, a poetic board book for children, ages 0-4, shows that behind the creation kids love so much stands the God who loves them even more! God speaks to us through the mountains, revealing His strength. He speaks to us through the sun, telling of His glory. In fact, everywhere we look in creation, God speaks! A perfect bedtime book, the steady, soothing sounds of the text and gentle, realistic artwork provide a calming, worshipful experience for children right before they fall asleep. But The Moon Speaks is also a book for anytime, helping young readers understand that all of creation is telling us something: God is there, He made the world around us, and He wants us to know Him!
The Moon Speaks is about much more than just the moon. It’s about the stars, the sun, clouds, snow, a stream, mountains, trees—all creation speaks to God’s glory. Author Jason Duesing and illustrator Chiara Fedele guide little ones on a journey through God’s creation to show how it all speaks to His glory.
Each left panel begins with a statement of The _____ speak(s), then follows with a rhyme in triplicate, like so:
The moon speaks.
Shining so bright,
Mirroring light,
Ruling the night.
The right panel begins with a question of isn’t it/aren’t they _______?, followed by an alternating patterns that looks like this:
Isn’t it beautiful?
The moon.
The moon.
The beautiful moon.
Or this:
Look up at the stars,
the wonderful stars.
The result is a quite beautiful, lyrical poem that flows through the entire book. That’s something you don’t always see with children’s books. Duesing has been meticulous with his repetitions, word choice, and sentence structure. That consistency creates a liturgical feel. Parents and children could actually create a worshipful call-and-response from this. The rhythm is slower, making it a good book to settle into and slow down. A good book for transitioning to a quiet time or to bedtime. A good way of teaching rest and gentleness and worshipfulness. A good way of exploring creation and giving words to God’s creative power.
The Moon Speaks is a beautiful book that’s been incorporated into my family’s daily rotation. With vibrant illustrations, there’s even something for your pre-reader to reflect upon and enjoy all by themselves. More than just a children’s book. A work of art.
