The Moon and the Stars

Cat and gnome from The Moon and the Stars. (click to enlarge)

I don’t remember how or where I came across The Moon and the Stars by by Alona Frankel, but I’m happy I did! It’s a little piece of magic. I mean look at this cover – a three eyed cat!?!?! I love everything about it. I love the trim size. I love the main character, Prudence’s hair. I love how Ms. Frankel captures Prudence’s emotion, that inexplicable upset feeling a person can get when nothing feels quite right. We see Prudence feeling miserable throughout the day, even when everyone she encounters tries his best to make her feel good, feel special. It’s that sense of something missing that makes poor Prudence feel bad. Each person tries her best and gets frustrated when her best isn’t enough. “What more could you want? The moon and the stars?” Is their refrain to Prudence. You’ll have to read it to find out what helps Prudence finally feel right.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of all is the ever changing cat in all the illustrations. With each page turn I can’t wait to see how the cat morphs to reflect what is going on with Prudence. Here are some of my favorite pages, make sure to check out the cat!