Hello, Harvest Moon

by Ralph Fletcher, Kate Kiesler (Illustrator)

While tired farmers and their families are in bed, the harvest moon silently climbs into the sky and starts working its magic. For some, it is the nightly signal to rise and shine. It is time to hunt, to work, or to play in the shadows. For a little girl and her cat, it is an invitation to enjoy the wonders of the night and a last flood of light before the short days of winter set in. With an evocative text and radiant illustrations, this companion to Twilight Comes Twice offers a glimpse of nature’s nightlife long after bedtime.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, 2nd Grade, Realistic Fiction, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2003

About the author

Ralph Fletcher is a friend of young writers and readers as well as writing teachers. He has written or co-authored many books for writing teachers includng Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide, Teaching the Qualities of Writing, Lessons for the Writer's Notebook, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, and Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft That Sparks Writing. Ralph has worked with teachers around the U.S. and abroad, helping them find wiser ways of teaching writing.

Ralph's many books for students include picture books (Twilight Comes Twice, Hello Harvest Moon, and The Sandman), novels (Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Spider Boy), poetry (A Writing Kind of Day and Moving Day), and a memoir, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid. His novel Uncle Daddy was awarded the Christopher medal in 2002. He has also written a popular series of books for young writers including Poetry Matters, Live Writing, and A Writer's Notebook. Ralph lives with his family in New Hampshire. He is a strong environmentalist who believes we all must work together to live in a more sustainable way. His other passions include travel, good food, dark chocolate, growing orchids, and sports.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3 stars overall but 4 stars for the gorgeous illustrations. The story started well enough with a girl going outside to enjoy a moonlit night, and then goes on to describe animals and other people who are also enjoying it. The 2-page spreads about baby sea turtles hatching in the moonlight and going out to sea and about the boats in the harbor seemed out of place to me, and jarring, because all the rest of the pictures/text took place around the house in the country where the girl lived. If those two spreads had been left out and replaced with happenings closer to the girl's neighborhood, I could have given this 4 or even 5 stars. Still, it's worth a read just for the gorgeous illustrations, through which you can almost feel the cool night breeze.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Poetic and beautiful art.

[Set · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are very nice but I don't like how prayer of our forefathers to the moon is mentioned. There are many Harvest Moon references that he could have used instead of the pagan prayer to the moon.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful poem with lovely illustrations

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetic, with deep, richly-colored illustrations that fill each page.

[Kamayka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairly simple book to read but could be used for lower grade middle schoolers to introduce poetry. This book is very poetic and has great descriptions. Would be a great read aloud and fun way to start off a lesson. The illustrations in this book are fantastic! This book also has several science terms that middle schoolers may have not heard yet such as “nocturnal.” A great book to introduce new vocabulary.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous language to go with the beautiful illustrations of the night of the harvest moon.

"With silent slippers
it climbs the night stairs,
lifting free of the treetops
to start working its magic,
staining earth and sky with a ghostly glow."

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written storybook, more of a very long poem put to illustrations. My 3 year old granddaughter got semi bored with it simply because it was more poetic form and used 'big' words more so than she could understand. But it was a beautifully written and illustrated book.

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I just wasn't super impressed.

#SetInARuralArea

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little long for reading aloud

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book listed for autumn books from the library and I love the illustration on the cover so wanted to get a chance to read it even though it is a children's book.

The story itself is freeform poetry but still carries a bit of the rhythm for the reader that is a bit soothing if you don't mind its length. It takes the reader on a journey to study the moon and its effects but since it covered so much territory I felt that it could have been talking more or less about any moon that was big and bright instead of the actual harvest moon, which the book was suppose to be focusing on.

Another thing that was slightly confusing to me was that the author made a point on his first page to say that all the crops had been brought in and the silos were full but the moon was still standing over crops still in the field. Due to it being a harvest moon it would have been nice to have some farmers out still working their land to explain how the moon's name is relevant to the harvest but that is my opinion.

The illustrations themselves were beautifully done capturing the muted beauty and grace of the land at night. If anything they most definitely did help to make this book.

Even with the few things I found off I still would recommend this book to younger readers who may enjoy a nice yet lengthy read for bedtime or even as a starter book to the autumn season.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATA Storytime Kit: Seasons (Fall)

Summary
While tired farmers and their families are in bed, the harvest moon silently climbs into the sky and starts working its magic. For some, it is the nightly signal to rise and shine. It is time to hunt, to work, or to play in the shadows. For a little girl and her cat, it is an invitation to enjoy the wonders of the night and a last flood of light before the short days of winter set in. With an evocative text and radiant illustrations, this companion to Twilight Comes Twice offers a glimpse of nature's nightlife long after bedtime.


Notes
Ralph Fletcher is the author of many well-received books for children, including the novels Fig Pudding and Flying Solo , and the picture books Twilight Comes Twice , Grandpa Never Lies , and Circus Surprise . He lives with his family in New Hampshire. Visit him online at ralphfletcher.com. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Vermont, Kate Kiesler began painting at an early age. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and now paints and illustrates full-time. Kate paints with oils, and her rich style has been highly praised. Kate Kiesler has illustrated numerous picture books, including The Great Frog Race and Other Poems . She lives in Frisco, Colorado.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy October!!

Its spooky season and this year we started off the month with a harvest moon and we are ending with a blue moon. Its only fitting that I read moon picture books to our girls. This one has poetically beautiful illustrations that just about make the book. I just felt it didnt flow as well as it could. I loved lots of the pages that's for sure.

[Brittney Cayford]

This book celebrates the magic and beauty of the harvest moon through autumn nights as the harvest moon rises. The images and words create a beautiful story perfect for viewers to feel that sense of beauty. The book follows the glow of the moon as it casts over the world, sparkling the fields, forests, and farmyards. This engages viewers with the vivid pictures to use their imagination.

[Devynn Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute to read. I really liked the arch of the overall story, how it flowed from dusk to dawn. The illustrations are really what drew me in and kept me reading, beautiful colors to depict the moon and night time.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of people notice how bright the world is when the harvest moon is out.

The illustrations make it look like daytime, which might be a little confusing for kids. The point is to show them that a full moon can make things look very bright, but you might need to emphasize that it is nighttime.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a celebration of the fall and the glow of the harvest moon that graces the sky at this time of the year. Beautiful illustrations, sweet storyline - just not our thing. We prefer rhymes and fun - but, this might be just perfect for you and your little readers!

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello, Harvest Moon is a beautifully illuminated children’s book by Kate Kiesler. Unfortunately the writing I found to be too wordy for most little ones under five (even thou it’s well done) and looses them almost immediately.

[Christie Marine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a go-to read over and over for my children when they were younger. It is a beautifully illustrated book written in a gentle mannered text that just calms in such a magical way. Great bedtime read!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent book for harvest or the moon...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this one and will read it tomorrow; only slightly worried about parents' reactions to the pagan overtones.

[Nancy]

The book is very colorful and talks about the Harvest moon which we had on Friday the 13th this year and we will not have another one until 2019.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet ode to autumn nights. I really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations.

[Annie Jewell]

This book is a cute way of showing that not everything is asleep at night and that there are many things still awake.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful poem. Great for teaching personification. "With silent slippers, it climbs the night stairs..." Even Peter liked it.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous but even without them the words paint quite the picture.

[Jezire C Akin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great personification

[Farleyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Good pictures. Nice way to connect animals with the harvest moon and change of seasons.

[sincerely]

Pretty book, veryyy poetic. Does mention our ancestors praying to the moon and likened it to a god's eye.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetic language and beautiful imagery abound in this lovely book.