Moon Bear
Every night, when mummy calls it’s time for bed, Ettie goes through her bedtime routine, enjoying a bath and story time. But then the light goes out, leaving Ettie hunched under the bedclothes with her torch switched on because she is afraid of the dark. But, one night, the moon’s shimmering lights streams through a crack in the curtains. Curious, Ettie reaches out to touch it and is amazed to find that it responds to her touch. Dancing round the round, ‘painting’ in the air with the light, Ettie notices the moon smiling down at her. She joins the dots of the stars to create a bear who bursts into life and the two play together. When Ettie learns that the moon bear is afraid of light, just as she (Ettie) is afraid of the dark, they help each other to overcome their fears.
I love a wordless picture book and the wonderful reading adventure they offer children who can create, embellish, alter and retell the story every time they open the book. ‘Moon Bear’ is almost wordless- the phrase ‘Time for bed, Ettie’ at the beginning transforms to ‘Time for bed, mummy’ at the end, emphasising the change in Ettie’s feelings for the dark- but other than this, the reader is free to interpret the illustrations to tell the story, noticing and developing details which please them most.
Although very different, for me, the story has echoes of ‘The Snowman’. A wonderfully imaginative adventure with two new friends exploring the child’s world and then the sadness of a parting. However, in this story, Ettie realises that Moon Bear is just as afraid of the light as Ettie is of the dark and she gently helps him to understand that he has nothing to fear. Although Moon Bear has disappeared in the morning when Ettie wakes, she knows he will return with the night, leaving the story full of excited expectation and joy.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and children are sure to notice all the little details which hint that Ettie is a bear fan before Moon Bear appears- her toy, her drawings, the book she shares with her mum- perhaps encouraging them to create their own imaginative solutions to help them confront their own fears. The story is perfect for adults to use as an opening for discussions about fears, developing empathy and understanding whilst offering reassurance. There are many pictures to linger over and discuss how Ettie and Moon Bear are feeling and exploring their emotions. The final picture of Ettie and Moon Bear on the very last page offers the perfect starting point for children to create their own stories about these two friends.
Gorgeous!
Moon Bear
Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Carolina T Godina
Frances Lincoln ISBN: 978-0711291003
You can read my review of ‘Sunny Side Up!’ here, ‘I Love You More’ here, ‘Never Ever Ever Ask a Pirate to a Party’ here and ‘Slime? It’s Not Mine!’ here.
