Tom Percival has gained something of a reputation for children’s books that have positive well-being messages and this early example is a gentle, reassuring story about coping with the stress and anxiety of moving house.
The central character is a small boy called Ivan, who feels worried and insecure when faced with the unfamiliarity of a new home, until a light from the moon beckons to him in the dark night and a strange magical journey begins..
The story cleverly channels the imagination that exists within every child and how this superpower can overcome our early fears in life. Even though the book’s message is quite simple, what is really impressive is witnessing Tom Percival’s own imaginative freedom on display here and his storytelling confidence growing with each, wonderfully designed page.
It is a book that invites you to share in Ivan’s lunar adventure right until the end, when the final positive message stops everything in its tracks.
By the Light of the Moon is a wonderful picture book with a straightforward message that doesn’t outstay its welcome and it is our well deserved Book of the Month for September.
You can pick up a copy of this and hundreds more brilliant books for just £2.50 each here at Gobbledybooks.co.uk