Looking for Luna

by Tim Myers, Mike Reed (Illustrator)

Overview

We’re after a cat, a soft-stepping cat
I’m walking with Dad and we’re after a cat.
With me out in front and him close behind,
There’s a wandering kitty we need to find.

When Luna is lost, it’s up to a little girl and her father to search for their feline friend. Quiet illustrations rendered digitally by Mike Reed follow the narrative as father and daughter meet many cats along the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761455646
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	01/05/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.20(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD940L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Author Tim Myers is a writer, storyteller, and songwriter. Having lived in Japan for three years, he now makes his home in Plattsburgh, New York.

Illustrator Mike Reed has received awards from the Society of Illustrators, Studio Arts Magazine, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. His illustrations can be found in two recent children’s books, Chill in the Air and Shake D’em Halloween Bones. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Editorial Reviews

A little girl and her father search for their wayward cat, Luna, in this cat lovers' picture book. On their walk, they come across cats of all colors, playing together, creeping through flowers, climbing trees, catching mice, and sleeping. The rhythmic text puts an enjoyable toe-tapping beat to their neighborhood walk: "We're after a cat, / a soft-stepping cat, / I'm walking with Dad and we're after a cat. / With me out in front and Dad close behind, / there's a wandering kitty we need to find." Reed's computer-aided artwork is soft and textured, as if drawn with pastels, and the large compositions are child-friendly. The cats have open, smiling faces, and the outdoor settings in which they are found are bright with greens and multicolored flowers. With a happy ending (yes, they find their pet), this is a good read-aloud for kids who love felines.

Booklist

PreS-K—A child and her father are searching for their cat. They look in garbage cans, empty boxes, and all sorts of places where she might hide. They crawl into bushes and abandoned buildings. They see many felines, but not theirs. Some are sleeping, some are chasing mice, and one is batting at moths. Finally Luna, a gray tiger-striped feline, leaps into the girl's arms, and they go home. But that night, she wanders off again. The last page is a repeat of the first, with father and daughter going out to look for her. This slight story is elevated by the lush illustrations, a combination of manual drawing and digital painting. The neighborhood is in full bloom, with green grass and trees everywhere, flowers all around, and brightly colored birds and bugs. The various cats all have distinct personalities. The fact that Luna comes home every day will be a comfort to young readers.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

School Library Journal

A girl and her father embark on a quest in search of their missing cat. In a feline version of seek-and-find, the child explores her neighborhood in search of her beloved pet. Lilting, rhyming verses describe the myriad kitties the duo encounters on their journey. Alas, each sighting ends with the girl dolefully shaking her head: "It's not that one." Myers's narrative exhibits a keen appreciation for the oftentimes comedic behaviors of cats. Reed's finely detailed, full-color illustrations have a grainy quality to them. This feature, along with the slightly blurred lines of the drawings, creates an ideal medium through which he conveys fluid feline movements. The playfulness of the text combined with its predictability makes this a suitable candidate for read-aloud time with the preschool set. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews