Under the Moonlight; Susannah Crispe

Worn out from a busy day of foraging and playing, and with darkness descending, Moose has returned to his glade. It isn’t long until he drifts off to sleep but a peaceful night of slumber is abruptly halted by a terrible fright. But what is the cause of Moose’s knocking knees, bulging eyes and prickly skin? Could it be a bear, an owl, a wolf or is something else to blame…

Under the Moonlight is a gorgeous and reassuring read that will bring plenty of comfort to children who can find the dark frightening. It is only natural to be nervous of the unknown, especially those unexplained noises in the middle of the night. Even a big Moose, with tough looking antlers, has his worries and his experience is sure to resonate with young readers who may be a little scared of the dark.

Told in gentle rhyme and with wonderful wintry spreads, we follow Moose through the forest as he bravely tries to find what has caused the fright in the night. On his nighttime adventures he experiences all of those uncomfortable feelings and uncontrollable emotions as he summons up the courage to face his fears. Readers will be with Moose every heart-pounding, spine-shivering, knee-knocking step of the way on his journey of discovery that has the most surprising of endings.

It is so easy to let our imaginations run wild and to come to the wrong conclusions when we are afraid and Moose teaches us that the truth is often much less scary. A lovely little bedtime read.

With huge thanks to Hachette for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 2+.