Kindergarten to Grade 2 (Owlkids Books, 2012)
Martin spends a lot of time in his own little world – a world where he attempts to catch butterfly giggles with his camera and where his mother’s smile is a big, wide river. But not today. Today is the first day of school and he will listen to his teacher – his teacher whose hair is the colour of his cat and whose face reminds him of his mother’s smile, which reminds him of the river, which reminds him of the rain…
Martine Audet, translated by Sarah Quinn, leads us through the poetry in Martin’s mind until the teacher calls, “Where are you, Martin? On the moon?” Martin learns that sharing his imagination is an important way of reaching out and an exciting way to make new friends.
Nominated for the 2011 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (French language), Audet’s story is beautifully matched with Luc Melanson’s dream-like illustrations. Both prose and visuals flow from page to page, mirroring Martin’s stream of consciousness and Melanson’s watercolours fittingly provide the ethereal landscape through which Martin’s story drifts.
In reading Martin on the Moon, young readers aged 4-8 will experience first-hand how poetry can “paint pictures in your mind and make music in your heart” and how imagination can bring new friends together.
Review originally published in Canadian Children’s Book News, Fall 2012