Moonfish

Moonfish by Graeme Base
Published by Puffin|Penguin Random House
Date: 1 October 2019
R.R.P. $26.99

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I grew up exploring the wonders of Animalia and The Eleventh Hour getting lost in them for hours.  I still have them and like to look at them from time to time because they hold special memories for me.  I have no doubt readers will feel like this about Moonfish as already I am moved by this piece of work and I have no doubt other readers will be too.

Graeme Base always surprises his readers and takes them on a journey.  The depth of his illustrations is beyond anyone’s imagination.  There is beauty and mystery in every page and the borders around these illustrations are reminiscent of all his work.

Moonfish is about darker times when an orphan fish was taken home by an old couple, but he was different and was teased by other children. Over time he grew so big that he couldn’t fit through the door of his home and he felt he didn’t belong.  Moonfish decides to go on a journey to find his place and what he encounters along the way helps determine his place in the pond beneath the dragon-moon.

Moonfish is like poetry; it rolls off the tongue easily and enchants the reader with a story of finding your place.  My attention was immediately captured as its themes of family, home, and the magical qualities of believing in where one belongs made me trust in the possibility of overcoming when others put you down.  This is true of Moonfish who grows into more than you could ever imagine.

While the words are like velvet, it is the illustrations that tell most of the story for me.  Graeme Base has a gift that entrances me into unseen elements of his illustrations, his ability to add so much to one picture that even in the darkest hues there are little treasures to be found.  The pages without text speak loudly about Moonfish’s adventure and include some of the richest parts of the book.

I would love to see every child on the planet have a copy of this book and is definitely a recommended read.  I think all of us have a bit of Moonfish in us both before and after his time of self-discovery, thank you Graeme Base for reminding us that we are all wonderful and have a place of belonging.

Thank you Puffin/Penguin books for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.