Moon song

As a family goes to bed on a cold night, a young girl begins a story to ease her cousin to sleep. The tale unfolds as a walk through the world around them, illuminating the winter landscape and all who find solace in the quiet hours and tempering her cousin's worries about the dark by urging him to "Come! Haagu! Follow the light." The phrase "Come, haagu" is repeated as they explore the forest, the ocean, and the night sky, sharing the wonders of Tlingit tradition and nature's interdependence. Delicate, leafless branches filter moonlight on fresh snow; bear, deer and lichen all find places to rest in the dark; fish and seals leap under the surface of evening waves; and the northern lights put on a show for all. Tlingit creator and Caldecott Medalist (for We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20) Goade shares a gentle story steeped in reciprocity; through mutual existence, there is only wonder, not fear. The watercolor illustrations are intensely saturated with dark blues and purples while conveying calm and light through shimmering lines, shadowy creatures at rest and play, and dots of snowflakes that scatter the pages; the stark contrast between light and dark envelops readers in the story. A moving testament to the deep interconnectedness of the world that will both charm and calm readers. Jenna WolfSeptember/October 2025 p.41 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Two young Indigenous cousins share a magical, moonlit adventure in this wintry bedtime story that celebrates Tlingit culture and light found on the darkest of nights. After the children scout for deer by "a rosy dawn," fish for salmon "by a radiant sunset," and clam "beneath a twinkling sky," the day ends as generations "gather by the hearth in the warm glow of home." At bedtime, one of the children, nervous about the dark, asks for a story, and the other--the book's narrator--launches into a cozy and vivid tale, set in a snow-blanketed forest. Concise, descriptive language tracks the cousins' imaginary jaunt through dark woods as Moon sings to them: "Slip under spruce, slink past cedar, delve deep into a velvety hush." Watercolor and mixed-media illustrations in luxuriant jewel tones depict gently sweeping, dreamy scenes dotted with wildlife and illuminated by moonlight sparkling between thick trees, with the northern lights dancing overhead. Refrains of "Come! Haagú!" draw them onward, and "Daa sáyú? What could it be?" invites readers to pause and wonder alongside the curious nighttime explorers before the story of Moon's song brings them peacefully home. Caldecott Medalist Goade reverentially shares elements of her Tlingit heritage through joyful language and symbolism-rich imagery. A soothing and appreciative ode to family, the moon, and winter's welcoming embrace. (author's note)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.