The potential of Black children is limitless--a reality expressed on every page of the astral Impossible Moon. Breanna J. McDaniel (Hands Up!) fuses emotional intelligence with scientific knowledge as her young protagonist, Mable, journeys through constellations.
Mable embarks on an expedition to the moon in hopes of strengthening her ailing Grana; along the way, she encounters several constellations containing elements of her African roots. Illustrator Tonya Engel (Your Legacy) uses oils and acrylics in primarily blue and violet hues to create each expansive nightscape. Engel's art complements the text, depicting Orion as an archer with long locs and Gemini as "joyous Black twins." McDaniel's detailed backmatter provides additional context about how star configurations factored into ancient folklore and aided enslaved African Americans as they sought freedom. --Rachel Werner, author and teaching artist at Hugo House, Lighthouse Writers Workshop and The Loft Literary Center