Do you wonder, when you see the Moon, at dusk, or dawn, or midday noon, just why her face is curved, or round, or why she sometimes can’t be found? Why does the Moon seem to change shape from night to night? What's really  going on up there in the sky? Innovative die-cuts and playful poetry introduce the names and shapes of the lunar phases to explain the role light and shadow play in this transformation. This eloquent introduction will fascinate young astronomers everywhere. Pair with the Moon Gazer's Wheel for a unique and educational gift. Grade 1-3–Die-cut holes–starting with a big round one on the front cover–track the Moon's phases as seen in the northern hemisphere. While Crelin explains what's happening in verse (The Moon's first phase, we call it NEW–/when Moon's between the Sun and you./Her sunlit side is turned away,/and we can't see her, night or day), and then (superfluously) again in prose at the end, Evans's digitally enhanced linoleum-block prints depict two children watching the sky or going about their daily or nightly business in a variety of urban and outdoor settings. Though the text could have used better proofreading (crescent is misspelled twice), the special design elements, heavy paper stock, and rich coloring add up to a sumptuous presentation. Consider this volume as an enhancement for more conventional treatments such as Suzanne Slade's The Phases of the Moon (Rosen, 2007) or Franklyn Mansfield Branley's classic The Moon Seems to Change (HarperCollins, 1960; o.p.). –John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Listeners may appreciate the rhythm, but most insight will come from the visual clues. Strategically placed die-cuts show the moon as it waxes or wanes with each page turn. Tabs are also cut into the border and marked with images of the changing moon, forming a timeline at the book's edge. Evan's blockprint illustrations, carved with precision, echo the slices of moon that are shaved away. In contrast to the rhyming text, a simple end note clearly explains this lunar dance of shadow and light. Fun "Moon Memo-Rhymes" are also included to help remember moon facts. — Kirkus Reviews Bob Crelin is the author of THERE ONCE WAS A SKY FULL OF STARS. Bob was awarded the Astronomical League's Walter Scott Hudson Award for his tireless work to preserve the night sky for future generations. He lives in Guilford, Connecticut.