It’s been almost a year since I was first introduced to The Nocturnals. Some of favorite books growing up were books featured animals in prominent roles (e.g. Animal Ark, Hank the Cowdog, Warriors, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, to name a few).
What makes The Nocturnals unique is that it introduces Australian wildlife. Throughout The Nocturnals series, I’ve enjoyed learning more about the different wildlife that populate Australian forests. This adaptation for younger readers is my new Nocturnals favorite!
Full-Color Illustrations
The full-color illustrations bring the characters to life. I enjoyed seeing the characters’ expressions and body language paired with their dialogue. They are adorable. (Especially those of Bismark. He’s such a character.)
Lively Dialogue
Partly because this book targets a younger audience and partly because this book narrows down its focus to Tobin, Bismark, and Dawn’s first meeting, more expression is put into the dialogue and character expressions. The pacing was rhythmic and made for an enjoyable read. I can easily imagine this book being reader aloud to entertain a younger reader (and having the younger reader read it back or join in on certain words/phrases).
A Book on Friendship
From the beginning, it’s clear that this book is about making friends. I like how each of the protagonists has his or her unique personality. It shows how friends do not necessarily need to be alike in order to be friends but that friendship is about mutually intending to and taking action to be friends.
Fun Facts
At the end of the book, there is a section explaining what type of animals are Tobin, Bismark, and Dawn as well as what is a pomelo. I appreciate having this information to give me a better understanding of the protagonists. (And it’s the type of information I would have geeked over as a kid, being the animal lover that I was.)
The Moonlight Meeting is a highly enjoyable read featuring endearing characters and lively dialogue that are brought to life through rhythmic pacing and animated, full-color illustrations. Those who enjoy books with animal protagonists will especially enjoy this book for beginning readers. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next Nocturnals release!
For more information and resources, such as educator and book club kits, check out the Grow and Read website here. For more about the Nocturnals, check out the Nocturnals website here.
Additional note: I was sent some swag along with this book. The swag included a bookmark, paper art to recreate the protagonists, and a fox stuffed animal wearing a snake-skin printed handkerchief with the Nocturnals logo on it. It is adorable and would make a lovely addition alongside of the book for a present. I haven’t heard anything about this fox plushie/handkerchief combination being on sale, but maybe it’ll happen in the future!
Related Posts
- The Moonlight Meeting (Nocturnals Early Reader #1)
- The Peculiar Possum (Nocturnals Early Reader #3)
- The Mysterious Abductions (Nocturnals #1)
- The Ominous Eye (Nocturnals #2)
- The Fallen Star (Nocturnals #3)
CHAT WITH ME
What are your favorite bookish animals?
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
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