I'll Follow the Moon

© 2005 Stephanie Lisa Tara.

Original illustrations by Lee Edward Födi

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the
author, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review to be
printed in a magazine or newspaper.

ISBN 1-933285-13-3

LCCN 2005928713

 Forward

One night in 2001, about a month after I brought baby Madeline home from the hospital, I noticed something quite strange on the
beach in front of our south Florida home. It was late and Mom was tired, doing a last-feeding-of-the-day on the deck after a long day of
new mom activities. As Maddie dozed off to sleep at long last, I noticed dark, tiny shapes scurrying across the sand. What was this? I
wondered and went down for a closer look. There they were! Baby turtles streaming out of hundreds of small nests, gentle rises in the
sand were their markers. The babies made zigzagging, fanciful patterns as they dashed on little green legs in a remarkable race to the sea. I
watched them hop, one by one, into welcoming waves that sparkled under the beautiful moonlight. "I'm coming Mama..." they seemed to
be saying, and I realized that I was witnessing one of nature's sacred events, the love bond between mother and child. It is this precious
feeling that inspired me to write I'll Follow the Moon, that came into being a few years later.

With love,

Stephanie Lisa Tara

November, 2010

stephanielisatarabooks@gmail.com

www.stephanielisatara.com


Reviews, Awards, Endorsements

On a quiet moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of
home. Slowly, slowly with a tap, click, crack, the baby turtle embarks upon a
mysterious nighttime journey. Gentle tender verse and enchanting illustrations
carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea. Winner of the prestigious Chocolate
Lily Award and the Mom's Choice Award, first-time author Stephanie Lisa Tara
and Canadian illustrator Lee Edward Födi have teamed up to create a lyrical
rendition of a green sea turtle's first glimpse of life. Hatched on a moon-washed
beach, the baby turtle finds its way by instinct across the expanse of sand to the
sea and a rendezvous with its mother.
This attractive book is an enjoyable way to introduce young listeners to a
fascinating cycle in nature. Gorgeous watercolors chronicle the journey of a
baby sea turtle from its hatching to its first swim in the sea. -- Kirkus Reviews,
September 2005

An enjoyable read-aloud. -- Gillian Richardson, CM Magazine,

September 2005

A comforting story that assures a child they will always be able to follow the
light of a mother's love. -- BOOKVIEWS, November 2005

Sweetly told....Tara uses soothing repetition to hook young listeners, and

Födi's drawings are divine. -- Janie Magruder, The Arizona Republic

In this tranquil bedtime story, a baby sea turtle hatches on the beach and
wants to find his mother. And he knows just how -- he'll follow the moon! From
his gentle struggles to break free of his egg to his determination to dig his way
out of the sand nest and his eager shuffles toward the ocean, we follow the baby
sea turtle on each step of his instinctive journey back to his loving mother who
awaits him in the sea. Stephanie Lisa Tara's gentle verse along with Lee Edward
Födi's soft, earth-toned illustrations capture the gentle natural beauty of this
nocturnal beach migration. Your young readers and listeners will be rooting for
the young sea turtle as he works his way toward the sea and be thrilled to see
him reunite with his mother, even as they discover the beauty of this real life
struggle of the green sea turtle. -- Books of Wonder, New York City; Peter
Glassman December 2007

All children want to have security, and they love animals. I'll Follow the
Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara is about both.
On a serene, quiet sandy beach a baby sea turtle breaks free from its egg and
begins the journey to find home and mother, all the while saying, "I'm coming,
Mama, I'll see you soon. I know just how...I'll follow the moon." And follow the
moon to Mama is exactly what the baby sea turtle does.
The simple words and gentle rhythm makes this a wonderful bedtime story.
It is soothing and subtly conveys the message that Mother will be there for the
child. The watercolor illustrations are solid, yet soft. They beautifully portray
the beach and sky in an inviting way that adds to the soothing nature of the
book.
Armchair Interviews says: Not only is this a wonderful story for parents to
read to their little ones, but it is a book that grandparents will welcome as they
care for their grandchildren. I'll Follow the Moon can help them assure their
beloved grandchildren that their parent's absence is temporary. It is a lovely
book that will be read and reread. -- Armchair Interviews, December 2005

Click, clack, tap,

Blue melts away. As I tap, crick, crack, I spin, I sway.

I'm coming, Mama, I'll see you soon

I know just how. . . I'll follow the moon.

Written in simple verse in the first person, the rhythmic text is full of action
and sensory detail and loaded with alliteration and onomatopoeia for an
enjoyable read-aloud. The atmosphere of a quiet but determined struggle to
break free of the egg soon gives way to growing excitement as the turtle mingles
with fellow hatchlings and catches his first tempting sensations: the smell of salt
air, the sight of the moon's glow, the gentle touch and beckoning sounds of the
waves rushing to shore. Once he's free of the land, new motions take over: gulp,
spin, float, swim.... The final happy refrain is new and satisfying: "I'm here,
Mama - here with you. I know I'd find you, Moon did too." Framed by
endpapers of soft, limitless, undersea green, Födi's delightful illustrations feature
an animated and engaging baby emerging from an egg buried in golden sand.
With other tiny turtles, he is shown plowing through the damp sand, sampling
the salty sea air and marching unerringly toward the moonlight glimmer, his
guide to the ocean. Once afloat, he soon comes face to face with "eyes like
mine" in his new watery home. The gold of sand, blue of sky and green of the
sea repeated throughout the book bring a sense of harmony. The turtle is the
focal point of all the pictures, with few background details added. The illustrator
has carefully integrated the turtle's actions with Tara's verse which relies heavily
on verbs: roll, slide, tumble......crawl, scoop, shove. Young children will be
propelled through the story in the illustrations as well as the text. -- Gillian
Richardson, CM Magazine, September 2005 Highly Recommended. Gillian
Richardson, who lives in British Columbia, is a former teacher-librarian
and freelance writer.

Kids Delight in Spring Book Extravaganza which kicked off with a

ceremony at Patrick Bowe Elementary School featuring books by award-
winning children’s author Stephanie Lisa Tara who donated 6,000 hard cover
editions of her gorgeous books. The titles included: Snowy White World to
Save, Little Library Mouse, I’ll Follow the Moon, and GWYNNE Fair &
Shining. “Our librarian is very excited,” says Samuel Karlin, principal at Bowe
Elementary School in Chicopee, MA. “We are giving out the books during
National Book Week and every kid will get to keep a new book. We thank
Reader to Reader for making this possible.” Author Stephanie Lisa Tara has
received numerous accolades including the Mom’s Choice Award, DIY Award,
Chocolate Lily Award, Golden Ink Award, and Books of Wonder. We are
honored to have her books as the centerpiece of this year’s Spring Book
Extravaganza. In addition to Stephanie Lisa Tara we gratefully acknowledge our
program sponsors: Chicopee Savings Bank, Comcast, and The Irene E. &
George A. Davis Foundation. —David Mazor, Founding Executive Director,
Reader to Reader, Inc. Cadigan Center, 38 Woodside Avenue, Amherst, MA
01002


Books by Stephanie Lisa Tara

•I'll Follow the Moon, 2005, Brown Books; Mom's Choice Award, Chocolate
Lily Award

•Little Library Mouse 2006 Brown Books; Hollywood Book Festival Finalist

•Gwynne, Fair & Shining 2007 Brown Books; Gold Ink Award

•Snowy White World to Save 2008 Brown Books; Best environmental book of
the year, Sharon Stone celebrity endorsement