Today’s Perfect Picture Book is written by the creator of The Marginalian. Enjoy!
Title: The Coziest Place on the Moon
Written By: Maria Popova
Illustrated By: Sarah Jacoby
Publisher/Date: Enchanted Lion Books/2025
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: philosophy, loneliness, moon, solitude, quiet, friendship, sharing, love, light, harmony, space travel, science, poetry
Opening:
It was on a Tuesday in July that Re woke up feeling like the loneliest creature on Earth and decided to go live in the coziest place on the Moon.
Brief Synopsis: After Re, a blue hedgehog, travels to the Moon to find a cozy place, he discovers that he isn’t the only one who has done so.
Links to Resources:
· Check out these moon-related activities from NASA;
· Where do you go when you need alone-time? Describe in words or pictures your favorite place to be on your own to think or dream;
· Read the Author’s Note to learn more of the facts behind this tale.
Why I Like this Book:
Filled with poetic language and scientific facts, The Coziest Place on the Moon is a philosophical picture book that explores ideas of solitude, sharing. and creativity.
Now I don’t know about you, but “cozy” isn’t a word I’d use to describe the moon. Although moonlight streaming through a window might make things seem cozy, photos and descriptions of the moon make it seem anything but warm and welcoming on its surface. But that doesn’t deter Re, the main character in this charming story. As readers learn at the outset, Re knows there’s a cozy place waiting on the moon and sets off to find it. Don’t you love the certainty and determination? And who can resist the mode of travel – mounting “a beam of light” and sailing “into space.” This being a story, Re travels “at the speed of dreams,” which, you won’t be surprised, is quite speedy.
I love all of the lunar references: the Sea of Tranquility (“which is really an unsea”, as it is dust, not water), the 15 Earth-days that comprise one lunar day, and the existence of pits, or nooks, in the lunar surface, perfect for those craving solitude.
I also love the invented vocabulary, like “happy-alone” and “besweaters,” and the inclusion of a definition of tranquility as “what it feels like to be happy-alone instead of lonely, the other word for which is solitude….”
But most of all, I love the idea that by traveling on a beam of light, a creature seeking solitude could find it and share it with another solitude-seeking creature. I won’t spoil the ending by telling you how, but isn’t it wonderful to think that two different creatures could share a cozy place on the moon.
Jacoby’s dark and dreamy illustrations make this a perfect story for bedtime or for anytime you want to feel cozy.
A Note about Craft:
Per the Author’s Note, Popova wrote The Coziest Place on the Moon when she was feeling lonely and read NASA’s report about these pits on the moon’s surface that offer shelter from the weather extremes on the surface. I love how she took this finding, surmised that these pits may unfold into caves, and crafted this delightful tale.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 