I SEE THE MOON AND THE MOON SEES ME (MAGICK IN ME)

A mother shares her love of nighttime to help her child feel less alone under the moonlit sky in Brooks’ quiet picture book.

Little Elijah is anxious. When he can’t find his mom inside, he realizes she is sitting on the steps outside. Elijah’s mother thinks looking at the moon is soothing, but Elijah isn’t sure; it looks creepy to him. Elijah’s mother leads him out into the nighttime, explaining that, to see stars and the moon, it has to be dark outside. When Elijah can’t find the animals he hears, his mother explains, “We may not see them, but the moon does. Just like we see the moon, the moon sees us.” The evening outside with his mother comforts Elijah enough to relieve his fears. Brooks makes the choice to never explain what has Elijah worried, which serves the narrative well, putting the focus not on finding a solution to a problem but on just being together, demonstrating how that kind of support can help children feel secure. Simple, accessible sentences help emphasize the deep love between parent and child. Dukhande’s illustrations do a beautiful job of portraying people and creatures that look real within their environments, with soft-edged, painterly forms. Elijah’s mom has a round figure, tattoos, and an upward-tilted button nose; curly-haired Elijah has darker-hued skin than his pale mother.

A comforting celebration of life at night.