Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I’m always smiling when Friday comes around because it means I get to share a beautiful new book with you. Today we are featuring the gorgeous debut picture book of Emma Pearl, MENDING THE MOON. Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti and published by Page Street Kids, this is one you won’t want to miss! And the author is generously offering a giveaway: the winner’s choice of a copy of the book OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique! Please make sure you leave a comment and SHARE the post on your social media…I’ve noticed some people tag friends…and that’s AWESOME. I hope you can do that, too.

MENDING THE MOON

Written by Emma Pearl

Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti

Published by Page Street Kids

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Working together, creative thinking, multigenerational

Synopsis: From Amazon:

One fateful night, the moon shines so big and so bright that it is too heavy to hold itself up in the sky. When it tumbles down and breaks into many glimmering pieces, Luna sees the whole thing. Her grandfather Poppa warns that without the moon in the sky, the oceans will stop moving and the earth will start to wobble. Luna and Poppa must mend it, but they may not be able to do it all on their own.

The mountain is alive with creatures big and small whose watchful eyes also saw the moon fall. Together, can they find all the shards, stick them together, and get the moon safely back into the sky?

In this enchanting tale with a timeless, folklore feel, a girl, her grandfather, and all the animals of the mountain hold the power to set the world right and forever leave their mark on the moon.

Why I Love This Book:
1. The beautifully written text has an old-world feel which I love – almost like a folktale – but it’s definitely a contemporary story – and kids will relate to the main character and they’ll love the relationship between Luna and her grandfather.
2. The illustrations are just glorious!!!
3. I think kids will relate to the problem that Luna and her grandfather must solve – we live in just such a world where disaster always seems imminent.

And how lucky are we? Very lucky! The lovely Emma Pearl stopped by to chat and shared a little bit about her path to publication…it’s a journey that will inspire many of you, I’m sure. Welcome, Emma!

EMMA: Thank you so much, Vivian, for joining in celebrating my debut picture book.
Here is a brief summary of my path to becoming a published author:

I got my book deal through #PBPitch, where I was lucky enough to be picked up by the fabulous Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids. I signed the contract days before moving across the world (UK to NZ), and a contract for a second book a few months later.
I write for young people of all ages and have recently signed with an agent for my YA novels. 
Also, fun fact: Roald Dahl was my great uncle and dedicated The Twits to me!

WHAT! You got your book deal through #PBPitch? And you recently signed with a fabulous agent? And Roald Dahl is your uncle? That’s like the Triple Crown of kid lit land! Thank you for sharing, Emma. And thank you for writing such a fabulous story!

If you want to connect with Emma Pearl and find out more about her books:

Emma grew up in England, traveled the world, and now lives with her family in New Zealand. She is represented by Sera Rivers at Martin Literary Management. She is a picture book mentor for the WriteMentor summer program, and this is her debut publication. The sequel Saving the Sun will be published in September 2023.
Website: www.emmapearlauthor.com
Twitter: @emmspearl
IG: emmspearl

And here’s a little bit about illustrator Sara Ugolotti

Sara was born and raised in Italy. After obtaining a bachelor degree in Architecture she took a degree in Illustration at the International School of Comics in Reggio Emilia, she then specialized in children’s books illustration and now works as a freelance illustrator for clients worldwide. She loves art, nature and animals, especially dogs. She lives in Italy with her boyfriend and their French bulldog, Murphy.
Website: www.saraugolotti.com
IG: sara_ugolotti_illustrator

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://www.playideas.com/moon-crafts-and-activities/

Check out 21 moon-related craft activitiPerfeces for kids: https://www.playideas.com/moon-crafts-and-activities/

I hope everyone will choose to do at least one thing from this list – our favorite authors and illustrators need our help:
1. Buy a copy of the book
2. Review the book on Amazon or Goodreads or another book review site. The book launches on November 1st so you can post a review on Goodreads now and then copy and paste it over to Amazon on November 1st.
3. Tell friends about the book (this is an easy one…just share the post on your social media!)
4. Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection…many libraries have an online request portal.

And don’t forget, folks…please leave a comment for a chance to win the super cool giveaway from Emma: Winner’s choice of a copy of MENDING THE MOON or a Picture Book Manuscript Critique.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend.