________________ CM . . . . Volume XVII Number 28. . . .March 25, 2011

cover

Lonely Luna.

Majid Damircheli. Illustrated by Wendy Siemens.
Regina, SK: Your Nickel's Worth, 2010.
32 pp., pbk., $14.95.
ISBN 978-1-894431-59-0.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 3-7.

Review by Linda Ludke.

**½ /4

   

excerpt:

Not long ago, and not too far away, a little girl named Luna moved to what felt like the coldest city in the world with her family.
It was winter when they arrived. They had left their home of heat and sun for what seemed to Luna like a land of ice and snow.

It was hard to believe the same sun and moon shone on both her old country and her new one!


A young girl and her family leave their country to make a home in Canada. Arriving during the winter months, Luna has to adjust to not only the new culture, but also the climate. Luna doesn't like the "shivery, quivery, goosebumpy, numb-fingery, teeth-chattering" feel of snow. She has a hard time making a friend and finds her new surroundings both physically and emotionally chilly.

internal art      Although she takes comfort in her close-knit family, every night she wishes "for a little warmth, a friend." At school, she puts on a brave smile, but not being able to speak English makes it hard to be able to share her true feelings. Eventually, Luna discovers that "there were many children like her new to the ice and the snow and the coldest city in the world." On the playground, she holds hands and enjoys her new friends, finally finding the warmth for which she was looking.

      Luna's loneliness and sense of isolation is well captured. Coldness is emphasized in such repeated phrases as "white like milk and cold as ice". Wendy Siemens' water colour illustrations have a snowy border that resembles a frosted window pane.

      This heartfelt story will resonate with children and could be used as a classroom discussion starter.

Recommended.

Linda Ludke is a librarian in London, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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