Moonlight & Shadow: Ragged Bears

The creators of Sunshine & Storm, praised by School Library Journal for its “outstanding artwork which reinforces the emotions expressed in the text,” surpass themselves in this magical story about a little horse who is afraid of his own shadow. The young horse Moonlight is alone in his field for the first time. As the moon rises, Moonlight sees something out of the corner of his eye...a BIG BLACK HORSE! Moonlight gallops away in fear, Shadow chases after him, growing bigger and blacker as the two horses gallop faster and faster. Exhausted, Moonlight can run no farther. He must turn and face up to his fear.

Intense watercolors portraying the little horse and his shadow in the moonlit snow give this unusual story a dream-like feel. The dramatic chase is softened by a reassuring resolution, resulting in a gentle, effective story about overcoming one’s fears. A simple, lyrical story line and wonderful washy, impressionistic animal paintings that capture the very essence of the horses will surely establish this pair as creators of compelling animal stories.