Customer Reviews

Night of the Moonjellies: 15th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charming story capturing a magical childhood day. Makes you think about memories of special days from your own childhood, and family that have passed away. The details that are recounted would not be remembered by an adult experiencing them. Now that entire weeks seem to fly by faster than a single childhood day, this story will bring you back to a child's view of a slower moving world. Though a bit slow compared to what adults are used to as they go through the daily routine, my 4-year-old loves the pace of this book, and dwells on the details. The 'impressionist' illustrations are captivating, particularly the 'climax' page where the moonjellies light up the sea. The final page chokes me up a bit, as the grandmother attempts to 'bottle' memories of that special day for her grandson.

This book is a wholesome family and nature oriented book for boys 3-8 years old. My son has spent countless hours playing out the theme of this book - never tiring of the many options it offers. If you have a budding oceanographer or tide-pooling enthusiast this is the book for you. Any landlocked readers can enjoy the book just as well. The book's pictures fill the pages as well as the mind with dreamy images that bring the whole story to life. The words and images are really a hand and glove that make a perfect fit. The book also models working together as a family and that children can have an important place in helping. Grandma's get a boost here too as quick and creative planners. Nigth of the Moonjellies is also a gentle reminder to save some of the present for the future, without heavy sentimentality. A great book to read if you include any aquariums in your vacations. Don't forget about Aliki's great "My Visit to the Aquarium" book.

Our children (ages 3 and 5) LOVE this book. And so do I. The illustrations are gorgeous. The story is fantastic. And what makes it even more nice is that it's true. This is one of our favorite children's books. Our kids ask for this time and time again.

Night of the Moonjellies

This is a nice book. A boy stays with his grandparents for the summer. He helps them work their food stand at the beach. He finds some interesting things on the beach on his way to the stand. Grandma sets it aside until later. Then after a busy day she has a surprise for him. She has arranged to go for a boat ride that night. They have hot chocolate to warm up. Then they get to the right spot. The ocean comes alive with light as they are surrounded by moonjellies. The boy releases the one he found on the beach that morning.

This was apparently a true story. There is information at the end, about the stand and the family who worked it for so many years. It conveys a hard working family and a boy who is valued for his contribution.

Yes, this story ends with moonjellies, but it's mostly about a boy's day working in a seaside burger stand with his grandmother and extended family. My kids love it -- the author really brings the burger stand alive and shows the connection between himself and his grandmother. The picture on the cover might make you think that the book is all about the magical moonjellies -- just be aware that this only comes at the end.

This is my son's favorite book so, I bought it for him as a birthday gift. He loved it.

I thought it might be a bit advanced for my 5-year-old granddaughter, but she enjoyed it. Is part of her homeschool curriculum. As a young Southern California girl, she learned many new vocabulary words and found it very interesting.

This was a favorite read when my kids were little and when my first grandchild was born, I knew she had to have it. It is truly a treasured favorite.

My seven-year-old son and I enjoyed this story of a boy, also age seven, who helped at his family's food stand. The grandmother in the story made a special point of dealing with her grandson's curiosity, and her grandson showed patience in waiting for an answer. We had previously seen moonjellies at the aquarium, and this story brought back those memories. We also thought the pictures added much detail to the telling of the story and we tried our own pictures with pastels (a little messy but fun.) We have yet to try lobster or clam chowder, as mentioned in the story, but perhaps we will soon, as my son is also curious.

I can't say enough about what a great story this is. And the illustrations are fabulous, too! My two and four y/o love this book; and I do too! I never tire of reading it. It's especially good in conjunction with FIAR and Homeschoolshare. HOWEVER... I bought the paperback, because I was having trouble finding a HB copy. I am very careful - okay... neurotic! - about treating books well especially around little kids. This book remained put up and we would get it out 2-3 times a day and sit in the chair and read it together. There was absolutely no abuse to the book, but after two weeks pages 1-16 fell plop! out of the book and onto the floor. Then the next night more pages began to loosen. It is only glued and apparently not that well. I guess I'm going to staple it together for now. But I'm going to be looking to replace it with a HB, because it is very much loved. I recommend trying to find a HB copy... this is too good a book to miss!