Winter Moon Song by M. Brooks

Brooks, Martha. Winter Moon Song. Illus. Leticia Ruifernández. Toronto: Groundwood Books-House of Anansi press, 2014, Print.In this beautifully illustrated picture book, a young rabbit uses his magical singing and the bright night sky to not only light “a magical path lighting the darkest month” but also to unite a community of rabbits.The young rabbit sings in a choir. His choir has been rehearsing the song “Winter Moon Song” which will be performed in grand tradition in front of rabbits from near and far. One evening after rehearsal as the young rabbit walks toward home, he notices the outline of a rabbit in the moon. The curious rabbit asks his mom to explain it. The mother rabbit calls it a trickery story. She explains that a long time ago Great Mother Creator Rabbit had come to earth to feel what it was like to be one of her own creations. She did not like it and became very scared. A small bunny came along to help. He offered himself up by jumping into her stew pot. However, the Great Rabbit did not want to see her creation die. She pulled him out of the pot by his ears and threw him into the sky where he landed on the moon.This Canadian author uses a host of descriptive words that help the reader imagine the passion the young rabbit expresses when singing his song on this cool winter eve.The illustrations in this book are uncluttered and enhance the story. One such illustration is of the mother rabbit sharing the story of the Great Mother Rabbit. The young rabbit is sitting in front of his mother listening intently to her as she tells the story. It is so simple yet it portrays the beauty between the mother and young rabbit.This Canadian book should be well accepted by all students and it could be used in conjunction with the Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Angie McKennaMcKenna is a Grade 5 teacher with Edmonton Catholic Schools. She is currently completing her masters’ degree in Elementary Education at the University of Alberta. Angie enjoys literature and feels blessed that she can share her love of reading with her students.