Moonsnail Song

Joan Buchanan is a writing instructor and storyteller, and the author of
Taking Care of My Cold! and The Nana Rescue.

It’s no surprise that Moonsnail Song is an attractive, warm
combination of story and pictures: Sheryl McFarlane won the IODE
National Book Award in 1991, and Sheena Lott has won awards for her
work.

The soft greens, pinks, purples, yellows, and browns of the watercolors
reflect the mood and topography of the West Coast. Lott presents
realistic images, with character and motion drawn from the spirit of the
text.

The story is a simple one, of April’s day of dreaming she is by the
sea instead of at school or at home wiping the table. McFarlane creates
a mesmerizing lyricism in this seashore daydream through her use of
music imagery. The ocean’s resonance can be heard in such phrases as
“Her moonsnail sings,” “the breeze plays upon her skin,” and
“the steady muffled bass of her brother’s music beats out the rhythm
of the sea.” Word repetition reinforces the rhythm, as in “The ocean
sings its lapping song ... Whispers April’s sleeping song.” The
language is also rich in metaphor: “as twilight cloaks her street”
and “carried on the whorls of her moonsnail like a scoter on the
surf.” Highly recommended.