Myra here.
It’s been awhile since I’ve joined the Poetry Friday community. To welcome the New Year and to also share our current reading theme on love, I thought I might as well step in this week, and give Fats and Iphigene a slight reprieve. Thank you to Bookseedstudio for hosting this week.
The Moon Has Written You A Poem
Written By: José Jorge Letria Illustrated by: André Letria Translated and Adapted by: Maurice Riordan
Published by: Wingedchariot Press, 2006
ISBN: 1905341008 (ISBN13: 9781905341009). Borrowed through inter-library loan from Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me.
I learned about Portuguese father-and-son author-illustrator while I was a research fellow at the International Youth Library in Munich last year. When I discovered that they have a translated poetry book in English, I immediately hunted it down from the library.
The subtitle indicated that it is a collection of “poems to read with children on moonlit nights” and is dedicated to “Rodrigo who has just arrived.” Think of a gorgeously illustrated, evocative book of poems with a distinct message of love that feels very much like a grandparent reading rhythmic verse to his grandchild.
It is a love that spans the entire universe, as the moon itself has been asked to sing songs to a young one who “just arrived.” While I am generally not a fan of rhyming text, and I did feel that something may have been lost in translation here, it remains a precious book that deserves to be snuggled with.
I also love André Letria’s art – the bold bright strokes, the brilliant blues, and the images that extend outside of the page, such is its grand scale, like a love that can not ever be contained.
There is also an eerie trademark to Letria’s art that has the taste of magical realism, which is a perfect fit to Jose Jorge Letria’s fanciful imaginings filled with so much soul, like cerulean heart-songs.
This luminous book is also a tribute to the written word, to lilting verse, and to family and heritage. Find it and have the moon recite a poem to you and your little ones.
#LitWorld2018GB Update: 6 of 40 (Portugal)
Gathering Books 
Myra GB – this sounds & looks luminous. And it’s leading us into some sky magic close to these times when so many of us experienced Supermoon Love. I’m expecting to look for this book soon. Many appreciations.
(And please accept my apologies for the miscue from yesterday. Entirely my fault!)
May the moon shine down on you with even more Light than you already share.
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Oh my, I love poetry and writing about the moon, Myra. This looks wonderful. It was rather a surprise to read the rhyming, unexpected from a translation. But it sounds nice & I will look for it.
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Myra, this book sounds lovely and it is gorgeous! I think ‘luminous’ might be just the right word. Thanks for introducing it!
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I love the illustrations and sample poems. Thanks for sharing it. I hope I can locate a copy myself.
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I’m so glad for the visit today.What a gorgeous book….the idea of greeting one who has just arrived, infant, immigrant, grandparent is beautiful. I agree that this book is to be snuggled with. The illustrations are really neat. I love the otherworldly look to them. Thank you for sharing this gem. I wonder how I could get my hands on it?
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Hi Linda! In the event that you are unable to find it in your local library, you can just click on the image of the book cover above and it will lead you directly to Book Depository where you can purchase it and it delivers right to your doorstep. 🙂
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So much to love about this book!
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This book looks gorgeous! It seems to pair well with Matt de la Pena’s LOVE. Thanks for sharing.
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Such a find – that art is particularly enchanting. Perfect to enjoy for the super-blue-blood-moon coming later this month! Thanks for sharing.
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Beautiful indeed–I hope to track it down for the moon study we do in 2nd grade every year. Thank you for sharing, and glad to have you back!
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A post that shines a lovely moonlight on me. Thanks!
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An enchanting and gorgeous book, I must find it and soak it in. The images are beautiful–they remind me a bit of the surrealist Spanish artist from the 30’s Remedios Varo, thanks so much for sharing it with us!
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Thank you for sharing this enchanting book, Myra! I love the idea of the moon writing a poem. It’s a great springboard for young poets, I think.
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Gorgeous artwork. I’m glad we are both popping back in this week, Myra!
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