Goodnight, Moonie!

Daddy and I waved goodbye to Mommy and watched her airplane fly away into the night sky. I was very sad to see her go. Through my tears, the stars twinkled brightly. One shown down so bright it seemed to light up the sky. It was Moonie! "Moonie will be looking down on Mommy and us every night while she is away," Daddy said. Goodnight, Moonie! is the touching story of how a young boy finds comfort in his imaginary friend (or is he?) when his mother leaves on a business trip. Followed home by his friend, the young hero learns about the mysterious, bright object in the night sky that is simultaneously everywhere. Through his father's patient guidance and loving reassurance, he learns that a parent having to leave home for a few days is not so scary after all. Each page features the uniquely impressionistic art of author and illustrator Adam Otokiti, inspired by his Nigerian African heritage. The story takes place as a night time road trip from the airport to home, with father and son dialogue about the moon, travel and the strength of family against the backdrop of a starry and moon filled sky. This lovely children's picture book is suitable for early readers and youngsters of all backgrounds. It lightly touches on themes of family, love, friendship, and coping through the inquisitive mind of a young boy. The title and illustrations of night time make this title a lovely children's bedtime book as well. Adam Otokiti enjoys producing oil and acrylic paintings, as well as computer graphics. This story was inspired one day, when his wife, who frequently travels for work, had to leave and his son was especially said. There was a full moon out and a brief talk about the moon, reassuring his son that Mommy would be back soon sparked a growing love of 'Moonie' and all things space. Now, his 8 year old son (who was only 4 at the time) wants to be an astronomer and loves all things Neil Degrasse Tyson. Adam's son helped to bring the story to life, and he looks forward to writing more stories with both of his sons.