Moonlight: The Halloween Cat. A Great Fall Book for Kids

by Cynthia Rylant, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

"Told in rhythmic prose that almost purrs when read aloud‚ this black cat′s story enchants with a perfect blend of art and text." School Library Journal "A soothing‚ ghoul−free‚ utterly non creepy Halloween book." Booklist 2 − 5

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Holiday, Storytime, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.

Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.

from bookrags.com

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Well, of all the Halloween books I've read this is not the best one to end on. This book is about a black cat loving Halloween. Pumpkins, scarecrows and trick-or-treaters.

The art is cozy.

My nephew loves cats so he did enjoy this story.

I enjoyed being able to share these books with my niece and nephew this Halloween season.

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite charming. Tot and I both enjoyed it.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!!! The picture of the kitty curled op cozily on a scarecrow's lap is just too precious!!!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adorable cat-Halloween book!:)
This one is more in poem form (though it doesn't rhyme-it's just that there's very few words per page, so more poem-ish I guess), but the pictures are adorable, and the story is very sweet and pretty.
The only thing I was concerned about, was the fact that the cat is given a piece of candy at the end of the story. I would have been much happier had it been a more cat-appropriate treat, just because I'm not sure how good peppermint candies are for kitty stomachs... :\

Otherwise, totally cute!:D

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moonlight the cat loves every night, but Halloween is special. Pumpkins smile at her, scarecrows let her sit in their laps, children are out and about in costume - it is a magical time! When the human activities are done, Moonlight watches the moon, spies on an owl and rabbit, and then heads for home...

Simple but descriptive text from author Cynthia Rylant is paired with boldly colorful artwork from illustrator Melissa Sweet in Moonlight: The Halloween Cat, which offers a sweetly reassuring look at a holiday that might sometimes frighten very young children. Here in Moonlight's world however, there is nothing to fear, and the child listeners gets to follow along as our feline heroine heads out into the night. Definitely on the sweeter side of Halloween fare, I found this one almost soothing to read, and thought the artwork was lovely. My favorite scene was the one in which Moonlight sits on a branch, looking at the full moon. Recommended to anyone looking for gentler Halloween picture-books for younger children.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give one and a half or two stars to this book.
I certainly do recognize the illustrations handiwork of Melissa Sweet from her collaboration with James Howe on the often lauded "Pinky and Rex" series, but this book provides an excellent vehicle for her to take her artistic abilities to another level.
The beautiful, panoramic paintings compliment the graceful writing of Cynthia Rylant to perfection, as one of my favorite versatile authors proves that she is very adept at taking a subject like Halloween night and conveying the sense of its magic to readers of all ages. More than a few families have (and will!) read this book in front of a warm fire on Halloween night, providing reassurance and fun and a true sense of being part of something special.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a gentle and beautifully illustrated book about Halloween told from the perspective of a black cat who loves the night, especially Halloween Night. The kids hung on every word of the simple text and studied the beautiful illustrations with great interest. This is an amazing book that presents everything that is Halloween in a non-scary and gentle manner. Great ending book for a storytime.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quiet, not-scary Halloween tale for the littlest tots. Moonlight the black cat roams her small town at night and takes in the sights and sounds of the holiday.
What's not so good: It's about a pet cat let loose to roam, which is more dangerous than charming.

[L.A.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute children's book about a black cat named Moonlight who loves Halloween.

[Hayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute but I think it should have ended with the cat getting a treat that cats actually enjoy. Children are smart enough to know cats can’t eat candy.

[Sheila Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute story for the very young (K-1). Especially those children who love cats and Halloween!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moonlight: The Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet is a soothing story of a black cat who loves Halloween.

Moonlight the cat enjoys wandering at night, but Halloween night is her favorite. She likes the smiling pumpkins and the straw scarecrow laps. Moonlight follows the trick or treating children. Moonlight likes to watch the yellow moon, flying owls, and wandering raccoons. Moonlight loves the shining pumpkins and stars, and the dropped candy treats!

Rylant writes in rhythmic prose about a Halloween-loving cat. The text is printed in white in a large font.

The illustrations were prepared with acrylic and colored pencil on hot-pressed watercolor paper. An owl, rabbit, raccoons, bats, and a dog are pictured.

Moonlight is a good choice when looking for a non scary Halloween book. While the illustrations work in this version, it would be very interesting to see this book reinterpreted by another illustrator. My favorite illustrations were the cat watching the moon from a tree branch, and Moonlight jumping from a gravestone. A little more scary or realistic would have also worked for me.

For ages 2 to 6, cats, Halloween, animals, and fans of Cynthia Rylant and Melissa Sweet.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of an outdoor cat that particularly enjoys Halloween. Honestly, this is the kind of book that lends well to talking Halloween traditions, but I see it as an opportunity to discuss the importance of being a keen observer. That's what the cat, Moonlight, does all night, and it's really the meat of the story. As always with Cynthia Rylant, the language is a treat, but with this particular book, you get the added treat of Melissa Sweet illustrations. This seems to be from the phase before she started working in paper-scrap collages like she has been doing recently, but it's still Melissa Sweet's high-quality painting throughout. Highly recommended.

[Fjóla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm of two minds about this book, both the text and the pictures left me cold in places. There are spreads in between that are pretty good however and the illustrations may appeal more to kids than they did to me. And the supposedly poetic text is kind of flat in my opinion. I ended up settling on 3 stars, since I like the cover and I rather like the combinations of colors used in the pictures. Maybe the fault lies with the fact that we just finished reading the beautiful and catchy Scary, Scary Halloween, and this one really pales in comparison ...

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple picture book about a cat who loves Halloween. We follow the cat as she skulks about on Halloween night and finds some candy. even though the text is sparse and the story simple, there is something endearing about Moonlight that makes you forget all of the bad stereotypes about black cats.

The acrylic and colored pencil illustrations are beautiful done in large bold strokes that brighten the nighttime setting.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my continued search to understand how Halloween is marketed to kids these days, I read this little book. The text is pretty simple--can't see it appealing to kids over the age of five--but I like the fact that it features a cat with black fur, and writes about both the cat and the holiday with a charming, fear free approach.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my students and children will like this story of a cat that loves Halloween. I liked it...until the last couple of pages...just didn't like the end much. It repeats a few lines from the beginning and then adds that the cat finds a candy. It just didn't seem to flow as nicely as I would expect from Rylant.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not much to the story other than a cat's adventures one Halloween night. Other than wondering how a black cat got the name Moonlight, I found this one pretty forgettable.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this Halloween book and think it would be a great choice for storytime with toddlers and preschoolers because it's not scary in the least. The illustrations are gorgeous and it's cool to see Halloween from a cat's perspective.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mostly about the cat Moonlight and what it likes to do. The storyline seems somewhat repetitive. I guess I was expecting a little more from this book, but it's a fun one to get from the library for Halloween.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book to read at Halloween. The cat explores his neighborhood and sees all kinds of kids and creatures on Halloween night. The narrative is simple and the illustrations are colorful, yet dark, to convey the friendly spookiness of Halloween.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows the journey of Moonlight, a black cat, on Halloween night. She travels around her neighborhood and finds many things to keep her entertained! The simple sentences and colorful pages of this book make it the perfect find for a beginning reader.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. My one problem with it is the very last page - something that is not healthy for cats is the "happy ending." Maybe she'll just play with it... That's what I'll probably tell the kiddo.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moonlight is an indoor/outdoor cat who loves to wander at night. Not the safest life for a kitty cat, but a fun one!
Moonlight travels around her neighborhood on Halloween night and loves it!! Her favorite night of the year.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for story time and the kids really liked it. I personally thought it was rather boring, but I'm an adult who doesn't care much for cats...so what do I know?

Good for a Halloween read-aloud.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the story of a black cat touring the neighborhood for Halloween. However, as a volunteer for a local animal rescue, I worry that children will find it okay to let their black cats out at night. Not cool for the cat these days.

[Penny lurkykitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonlight the Halloween Cat is a wonderful Halloween book for toddlers. Halloween is seen through the eyes of a cat. It is gently told with beautiful illustrations that convey the mood and atmosphere of Halloween night without being scary.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

halloween

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous but the story does not go along with it.
Moonlight the cat loves everything about Halloween, from pumpkins to children to candy.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a very good Audio book. But it seems like it would make a cute book to read.