Title: Aliana Reaches for the Moon

Author: Laura Roettiger

Illustrator: Ariel Boroff

Publisher/Year: Eifrig Publishing/2019

On the cover: A STEAM book for aspiring scientists!

On today’s date in 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth after their historic trip to the moon. What better way to commemorate than to share a picture book that uses the light of the moon to celebrate a birthday!

Today’s featured book was written by kidlit friend Laura Roettiger, a regular reviewer here on Frog on a Blog. I’m excited to share her debut picture book with all of you!

In Aliana Reaches for the Moon, a clever young girl, who loves to explore, read, and create, has a special birthday surprise planned for her little brother Gus. Aliana and Gus live with their parents in the Rocky Mountains, and Aliana likes to look up at the moon and stars in the wide-open sky at night.

It’s the moon that inspires Aliana’s super secret birthday surprise. In the two weeks leading up to the big day, Aliana spends a lot of time researching, experimenting, and gathering the perfect materials. The night before Gus’s birthday, the surprise is almost ready. All that remains is the “icing on the cake”, the ultimate ingredient, the moon.

Colorful, full-page, cartoon-style illustrations fill up this cheerful book that salutes science, the moon, and family relationships. I like the inclusion of a diverse family, and the sweet relationship between older sister and younger brother. Aliana’s a wonderful role model for Gus. And Aliana Reaches for the Moon is a superb choice for fans of the moon, those who like to make and create, and for budding young scientists everywhere.