Wild Moon: How the Lunar Phases Light Up Our World

by Andie Powers, Lucy Rose (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical picture book featuring the eight lunar phases of the moon and how they affect wildlife on Earth told from the perspective of the moon.

Gold, Science Spark, Big Bang Notable Book List 2025

&&★ “This is a beautifully rendered piece of science, with enough poetic expression to draw in readers, but never growing sentimental or fantastical with the facts. The paintings are meant to be pored over, and this is likely not a book for reading once. It will certainly enliven story hours with its combination of repose and activity, all in one moon cycle....A generous view of the phases of the moon, written with great care, pacing, and illumination.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review

“This beautifully illustrated picture book not only presents the eight phases of the moon but also how animals from various habitats adapt during these phases....Fitting dark backgrounds with luminous light that showcase nature’s nighttime vibrancy set each scene....[an] attractive STEM selection.”—Booklist Magazine

Some of Earth's most extraordinary creatures have fascinating connections to our elegant and mysterious friend, the Moon. Did you know that the low glow of a waxing crescent moon helps dung beetles scurry home? Or that coral spawns when the Moon is full?

Wild Moon sheds light on the fascinating behavior of some of the Earth's most extraordinary creatures in this whimsical nonfiction picture book, perfect for fans of MOON! Earth’s Best Friend and Bedtime for Bo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423667445
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	09/16/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.75(w) x 10.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andie Powers is a writer for children, and sometimes, their grown-ups. She is the author of I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us (Bala Kids, 2022) and I Am Bold (Gibbs Smith, 2024). I Am Quiet was the winner of the Goodreads 2022 Choice Award for Best Children’s or Middle Grade Book and was a Kids’ Indie Next Pick for May/June 2022. Andie’s previously published works include Bravery Magazine, Root & Star, Bright Lite, The Horn Book Guide, Uppercase Magazine, Seattle’s Child, and The Bedford Reader. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters.

Lucy Rose is a Devon-based illustrator that graduated from Falmouth University in 2015 with a BA Hons in Illustration. She is inspired by vintage prints, art-deco posters and textile pattern, influencing her choice of muted/vintage colors and often pattern-like compositions. Lucy has also always loved the print process, and this is reflected in her work with organic textures and graphic layering. Living in Devon, England, she takes huge inspiration from the countryside and sea that is on her doorstep.

Editorial Reviews

This beautifully illustrated picture book not only presents the eight phases of the moon but also how animals from various habitats adapt during these phases. An opening spread offers a visual guide to the lunar phases and provides basic moon facts about its rotation. Next, lyrical text in a larger font and in the first person from the point of view of the moon itself describes the moon’s appearance and how it influences animals at night. For instance, the waxing crescent boasts, “I am smiling, star to star. / First, a sliver of light, then a grin!” and continues, “My waxing crescent is for scurrying. Scamper-scurry, turn, stop, see!” Straightforward text in a smaller font conveys facts about specific animals. In the case of the waxing crescent, it explains how when moonlight is low, dung beetles use the Milky Way’s brighter stars to navigate home. Fitting dark backgrounds with luminous light that showcase nature’s nighttime vibrancy set each scene. Concluding back matter, such as traditional full moon names, lends more details to this attractive STEM selection.— Angela Leeper Booklist

K-Gr 4–Although this book is a work of nonfiction, radiantly illustrated by Rose, the moon narrates what it does, its impact on Earth, and its endless pushing and pulling. A scene of the savannah is the background for an explanation of the new moon, and in service to the realities of the natural world, Powers pulls no punches. The moon advises the creatures to stay close to home in the “hiding” darkness of the new moon but also coaches a predator to use its “night eye” to find and bring home food for the cubs. All eight phases of the moon are laid out, against settings that show how very many kinds of night there are for the creatures who live there. Asides in a slightly smaller font explain, for ­example, how the waxing crescent moon makes the Milky Way visible, and how the dung beetle traces its steps accordingly. The waxing gibbous moon washes the landscape in light, a lively scene in which scorpions glow in the dark just from the rays of the moon. This is a beautifully rendered piece of science, with enough poetic expression to draw in readers, but never growing sentimental or fantastical with the facts. The paintings are meant to be pored over, and this is likely not a book for reading once. It will certainly enliven story hours with its combination of repose and activity, all in one moon cycle.

VERDICT A generous view of the phases of the moon, written with great care, pacing, and illumination.— School Library Journal, Starred Review

From the Publisher