The Night the Moon Fell

Title:  The Night the Moon Fell

Author:  Retold by Pat Mora

Illustrator: Domi

Publisher:  Groundwood Books

Genre:  Myth

Level:  Primary

Number of Pages: 26

Pub. Date:  2000

Summary: This is a story of the Moon who is shining in the sky when her grandfather’s blowgun goes off and scares her, which causes her to tumble from the sky and fall into pieces along the bottom of the ocean. The moon must now think of a way to get herself back together and get back to the sky because many of her friends like the wind and the birds are lost without her.  She enlists the help of little fish in the sea and they help to glue her back together with their shiny scales. When she is finally round again, she rises back up into the sky, inviting her new fish friends to come with her. This creates the Milky Way, which can still be seen shimmering today.

Critique:  This is a myth that describes the creation of part of the solar system, the Milky Way. The main characters in this story are animals and elements of nature with a simple story structure; the moon falls from the sky, but is put back together with the help of shinning fish that create the Milky Way as they help guide her back into the sky. Her getting back to the sky also constitutes a happy ending, another element common in traditional literature.

Response: My favorite part in the story was when the little fish helped to roll her back together.

Even though they were so little they were so important in getting the one of the world’s lights back on and she invited them back with her to shimmer and shine for all to see. It’s such a cute way to tell how the creation of the Milky Way was formed and a great story of teamwork and selflessness.