The Moon Came Down on Milk Street
Every once in a while, you read a book and wonder, “Why hasn’t anyone ever told me about this book before??” I asked myself that very question after reading Jean Gralley’s picture book THE MOON CAME DOWN ON MILK STREET, and so I determined to tell all my writer and teacher friends about this wonderful story.
In this picture book for the very young, something very bad happens: the moon comes down out of the sky, lands on Milk Street, and breaks into pieces. Gralley shows us how the “helpers” in the neighborhood all pitch in together to solve the problem. With lyrical language and warmly-lit illustrations, the “helpers” (all children) come in a variety of guises-the Fire Chief, rescue workers, and even “the Helper Dogs, with short, soft hair.” One amazing aspect of the book is that it shows the helpers coming together to address a calamity with resolve and cooperation; despite the crisis, feelings of calm and competence infuse the story. I also love that the cast of characters in the illustrations are a beautiful mix of races and genders.
As an early childhood educator, I’m struck by the calming and empowering effects of this book-in the wake of any tragedy or unsettling event, it’s the perfect read-aloud. It would work for a lap read or a circle time in a kindergarten. It should be on the bookshelf of every early childhood classroom! (Jean Gralley talks about her inspiration for the book in an interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith here.)
I'm so glad I found this picture book; it is on the reading list I'm working through as I prepare to enter the Vermont College MFA program. I experienced a sense of awe reading this book as a writer. In less than 100 words, Gralley has packed emotion, beauty, lyricism and drama into an amazing picture book. Like the wonderful aftertaste of reading a satisfying poem, the spell of this book has stayed with me.
In this picture book for the very young, something very bad happens: the moon comes down out of the sky, lands on Milk Street, and breaks into pieces. Gralley shows us how the “helpers” in the neighborhood all pitch in together to solve the problem. With lyrical language and warmly-lit illustrations, the “helpers” (all children) come in a variety of guises-the Fire Chief, rescue workers, and even “the Helper Dogs, with short, soft hair.” One amazing aspect of the book is that it shows the helpers coming together to address a calamity with resolve and cooperation; despite the crisis, feelings of calm and competence infuse the story. I also love that the cast of characters in the illustrations are a beautiful mix of races and genders.
As an early childhood educator, I’m struck by the calming and empowering effects of this book-in the wake of any tragedy or unsettling event, it’s the perfect read-aloud. It would work for a lap read or a circle time in a kindergarten. It should be on the bookshelf of every early childhood classroom! (Jean Gralley talks about her inspiration for the book in an interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith here.)
I'm so glad I found this picture book; it is on the reading list I'm working through as I prepare to enter the Vermont College MFA program. I experienced a sense of awe reading this book as a writer. In less than 100 words, Gralley has packed emotion, beauty, lyricism and drama into an amazing picture book. Like the wonderful aftertaste of reading a satisfying poem, the spell of this book has stayed with me.