Unhappy Moon
by Saras and illustrated by Proiti Roy
“Unhappy Moon” by Saras and illustrated by Proiti Roy. Published by Tulika. A beautiful story about the moon.
The moon is not happy. She wants people to notice her. She feels neglected and lonely. People are up and about doing their work when the sun is out at daytime. However no one is awake when the moon comes. The day is described as sunny or cloudy. But the moon is pale and forgotten.
The moon knew that she could play around with water in the seas and oceans by being where she was. She decides to seek attention by trying to make the waters leap high onto the beaches. That would surely make people start noticing her. So she went to her favourite spot in India. Where could that be? Where else but the southern tip which is the meeting point of three seas. She tried ruffling up the waters of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The seas did not like what she did and asked her to stop playing silly games like these.
What does the moon do next? Does she find a way to get attention? Does anyone help her find a way? Does she learn to be content with her situation? Do people really neglect the moon like she thinks? Will the moon stop being unhappy? This is what the story is about. The gorgeous illustrations bring the story to life and portray the beautiful landscape of our country.
I enjoyed reading the book with my seven year old. The book can be used to initiate conversations about concepts like tides, waxing and waning of the moon, change of seasons and changes from day to night. Worked well for us as a natural progression from the days of reading “Papa, please get the moon for me” by Eric Carle during the toddler phase and “The Astronomer” by Rabindranath Tagore during the kindergarten days. Both of these books are still our favourites.
Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this one! The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.