Multicultural Poetry:

Mora, Pat. The Night the Moon Fell A Maya Myth. Illus. Domi. New York: Groundwood, 2000. Print. ISBN. 0888993986.

Pat Mora, an America Latina, authors this abstract poetry book which retells a Mayan myth. In the abstract poem, Luna, the moon, loses her balance when her grandfather's blowgun creates a loud noise and startled her in the sky. She falls to the earth and rolls into the ocean. With help from her fish friends, she directs them to find her broken pieces and glue them to her. Luna rescues herself and floats to the sky with her fish friends. The tiny fish weave a net around Luna so they can go home with Luna. Luna is glad to be home and she invites the fish to stay and swim in her skies as they create the Milky Way.

Luna is personified with descriptive words: being knowledgeable, losing her balance, rolling, breaking apart, sleeping, gasping, knowing, and floating.

Mora uses language in unique, impressive ways to present emotions to children. Potential sensory images are evident by the use of these words: hearing, sighting beauty, tickling, smiling, looking up, hearing, and glowing. Children feel peaceful with the soft, sweet, happy mood setting. Throughout the poem, Luna hums and she and her fish friends sway to music. Sadness is inserted to let children know that Luna misses her home and her fish friends feel sorry for her. Mora's use of personification leads the reader to better identify with the story; and examples are when she writes about the wind, flowers, fish and stars having human qualities.

The abstract poem uses a few Spanish words and abstract pictures to make The Night the Moon Fell distinctive with fresh, imaginative ideas, and feelings.

The theme of this poetry book is Luna’s god-like mythical journey - falling to earth, an unfamiliar place then saving herself and returning home. The poem appeals to an audience of children because of the fascinating use of words and creative story line. The eleven sets of rhyming couplets are compatible throughout the book in reinforcing the story line. These poems follow the happenings and are necessary to help the children’s knowledge of the poem and to carry the theme. The book does not include a table of contents, index, or topic headings.

The first poem is a plea for Luna to return home with her white light. Emotions of sadness, laughter, and smiling are communicated. The fish call Luna and then she ask questions, expresses physical needs, and sings joyful invitations. Examples of the poem's rhyme scheme are shown in the following examples:

“All you need is part to you
Ask yourself what you should do.”
and
“Pizzicatos, little fish
Smooth me whole. Please grant my wish.”

Children are interested in the smiling moon because they can usually see it every night and parents often point out the moon smile and the features—full moon, half-moon or quarter moon. The poem’s language is to be understood by children and the illustrations stimulate their imagination. The progressive action involves emotions from sadness and despair, when Luna fell from the sky, intensity, when she problem solves how to return to the sky, then joy and happiness, when she is able to return to the sky with her new friends.

Domi’s abstract illustrations reinforces the theme throughout the book. The consistent, compatible poetry is always presented on the left side of the book and illustrations are on the right side to support the poetry. Illustrations are colorful in bright hues. The moon is presented in multicolor with various expressions. Elements of nature--leaves, stars, sea horses, coral birds, fish, fish, and more fish are equally colorful and not in the usual expected colors. The illustrations are recognizable and bold colors that attract children’s eyes.


Poem for Library Lesson:

My favorite part of The Night the Moon Fell is the conclusion. Luna floated to the sky with her fish friends. Her white light opened the stars’ eyes, the flowers lifted their heads, the birds flew high and the wind purred. The moon was home! Luna, the moon, hummed and sang,

“Please, dear friends stay here with me
Swim my skies, my star bright sea.”

The poem ended with the emotions of happiness and a feel-good feeling. I even wished I was a fish.


Activity:
Draw a picture that reminds you of this poetry story. Write a couplet, two lines of poetry, with ending words that rhyme to complement your drawing. Students voluntarily share their work; and which will then be compiled into a book for the school library.