PRAISE FOR MEET ME AT THE MOON:
"Marino's breathtaking panoramas make an already powerful story sing." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The textured mixed-media art paired with the flowing text elevates this title above most missing-mama fare ... Radiating warmth and comfort, this distinguished title strikes home." —Kirkus, starred review
"Heartfelt and sincere, yet never cloying, this will work well one on one or in story hours." —Booklist
PRAISE FOR GIANNA'S SECOND BOOK, TOO TALL HOUSES:
"The animals are full of heartfelt emotions, from anger and frustration to happy contentment...This story about friendship and togetherness contains a great lesson without being didactic or moralizing and should be welcome in most collections." —School Library Journal, starred review
"The well-turned, dialogue-rich narrative complements the sunny visuals, making this an excellent choice for one-on-one or group read-alouds...Another winner for rising star Marino." —Kirkus, starred review
“…a story of friendship that youngsters can understand and relate to.” —Library Media Connection
PRAISE FOR GIANNA'S THIRD BOOK, FOLLOWING PAPA'S SONG:
"...exuberant and gorgeous..." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"...a heartwarming reminder of how children learn to trust and listen for papas’ songs in our lives." —School Library Journal, starred review
PreS-Gr 1—Full of luminous paintings and vibrant color, this book is instantly appealing; however, the art outshines the weak plot. Two African elephants find each other with the "calling song," beautifully depicted as a floating stream of bits of color emanating from the animals' trunks. Mama tells Little One that she must travel to the mountains to ask for rain. She reassures her child that her love will be, "In everything around you." Little One then asks a series of questions: "What if I can't hear you?"; "How will I know that you still love me?" Mama replies that she will sing on the wind, that her love will be in the warmth of the sun, and that it will be as if they can see each other by looking at the same star. Finally, Mama says, "Meet me at the moon, where the sky touches the earth." At first Little One finds comfort in the sun, the stars, and the wind, but time goes by and a storm obscures the sun and stars. Little One no longer hears a song on the wind and feels confused and abandoned, forgetting Mama's instructions. At last, Little One remembers the calling song and finds Mama as the moon sets. The sentiments are lovely, but the writing is overwrought and there are too many elements at play. For similarly luscious artwork with a clearer message, stick with Nancy Tillman's books.—Anna Haase Krueger, Antigo Public Library, WI
On the African plains a little elephant struggles with the prospect of missing his mother as she prepares to "climb the highest mountain to ask the skies for rain." Mama elephant must go because their land is experiencing drought. Typically Mama and Little One sing their calling song--depicted visually as a colorful stream of fine dots--to meet, but this trip will be long and the baby does not want his mother to go. Little One questions: "What if I can't hear you, Mama?" "How will I know you still love me?" "How will you find me again?" Each time Mama responds with gentle reassurances related to the wind, sun and stars. When Mama leaves, a trio of giraffes and a zebra couple come closer to comfort Little One. Time passes, and the small elephant despairs. But she remembers what her mother said and sings her calling song "deep into the night." Their touching reunion shows Mama encircling her baby with her trunk, a shape that is repeated in the great white moon behind them. Marino impresses with her lyrical language, conveying it in a perfect tone to allay young readers' feelings of separation anxiety. The textured mixed-media art paired with the flowing text elevates this title above most missing-mama fare. The full-bleed double-page spreads evoke the vastness of the plains and the night sky, while the finely detailed striping of the zebras and the intricate branches of the trees produce a striking contrast with the huge circles of the sun or moon that dominate most scenes. Radiating warmth and comfort, this distinguished title strikes home. (Picture book. 2-5)