THE LITTLE MOON PRINCESS
by Y J Lee and illustrated by Y J Lee
Long ago, there was a little princess who lived on a moon filled with sparkling jewels. Her moon shines brightly against the dark sky, because this is a time before there were stars. The princess likes her jewels very much, but the blackness that surrounds the moon scares her. One day, a visiting sparrow suggests that she spread her jewels far into the sky so that they brighten the darkness. After valiantly trying, and failing, to toss and blow the baubles of light into the distance, she takes off her cape and waves it through the air. The jewels begin to scatter. For one last dark, empty spot, the little princess takes her favorite jewel from her crown and the sparrow drops it into place. Lee’s carefully chosen text and hushed tone set the foundation for this Little Prince–flavored spin on a familiar creation myth, but the luminous illustrations make it soar. The darkness howls with shadows of hidden monsters, while the light swirls through it, filling the pages with glowing pinpricks. A more-than-respectable picture-book debut. (Picture book. 4-8)