posted on 25 Sep 2018

Sing to the Moon by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and illustrations by Sandra Van Doorn

This latest beautiful offering from Lantana Publishing takes us into the life of a young boy in Uganda. He’s stuck at home as the rain falls and the prospect of a day indoors conflicts with his wonderful dreams where he flies to the moon, sails across the ocean to Zanzibar in a boat, find mythical beasts and eats a magnificent feast. But in reality :

“..I awake to the patter of rain, and watch the clouds spread like a charcoal stain.

I think of the hours with nothing to do, except count the drops as they muddle the view”

And at the end of the story the author asks us:

“Have you ever been stuck at home on a rainy day? What did you do? ..Uganda, where my story is set, has two rainy seasons one from March to May and the other from September to December. That’s a lot of rain…and a lot of rainy days!”

But the boy hasn’t factored in his Jjajja ( his grandfather) who is determined to take him on an everyday adventure. Together they pack peas, clear the veranda of bamboo leaves, climb guava trees and make fish stew. Then, delightfully, as the day ends, the boy and his grandfather share a magical time sharing stories together from Jjajja’s store of books.

This one rainy day has shown the boy that just because it’s wet outside it doesn’t mean there’s no enjoyment to be had – especially when that lesson comes from someone who really loves you. He goes to bed, safe and secure:

“And with a tired yawn, I stumble to bed, where I’m tucked in with a kiss to my head.”

This is a heart-warming story of the bond between a boy and his grandfather that is told in the simple, accessible rhymes of Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl. It’s a story that a child from any culture could identify with but, in this case, we also get to see a little bit of Uganda as a country and the Ugandan way of life.

Delightful as the story is, this book is also about the illustrations that add a whole other dimension to the words – bringing the boy, his grandfather, their house and the countryside alive while at the same time seeming to be so simple and colourful. It’s a great gift to be able to bring a character and their emotions to life with a tilt of the head or a widening of the eyes and that is something Sandra van Doorn achieves here.

Due to be published this Autumn, Sing to the Moon can be ordered directly from Lantana Publishing or from your local independent bookshop. I would strongly advise you to go and get a copy as soon as you can – you won’t be disappointed.

 

Terry Potter

September 2018

( Click on any image below to view them in a slide show format)