Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
The Moon brightens the night sky, sometimes making the stars giggle as they twinkle brightly. The Sun brightens the daytime hours, encouraging all loving creatures to come out and enjoy its warmth. But one day, the Moon decided it wanted to have all the attention, so when his nighttime ended, he didn’t let the Sun take over. In fact, the Sun was blocked from the sky. All the creatures were baffled, not knowing what to do with the forever night sky. It took Thunder to point out to the Sun that something must be done. The Sun did do something to make things right again.
Marianne Blackstone Tabner’s picture book story, Taking Turns, is a clever and informative way to teach young readers the importance of sharing and caring and, yes, taking turns. Using the two illuminators of the sky, the Sun and the Moon, to lead readers through a plot that challenges the bully-ish notion of who’s the better, young readers will instantly grasp the intention of the story and how important it is to allow others to shine in their own place and their own time. The story is written in simple language with basic sentence structure, and simple subject/predicate form, which makes it easy for a young reader to follow along and perhaps read themselves. I particularly love the illustrations – beautiful paintings depicting the sky, the Sun and the Moon, and life on Earth during the day and the night. At the end of the book, there is an interesting fact sheet on the Sun and the Moon.
I highly recommend this book! I really like how the story integrates science facts about the moon, earth, daylight with social skills like kindness, sharing, taking turns and friendship in a smooth and coherent way.
The text of the book is organized into simple sentences and short paragraphs which are sufficient for the story that the book is telling. The relaxing effects of the colors of the paintings bring imagination to interact with the text. The text and paintings are combined together and have a dynamic interaction with each other.
Taking Turns book will attract children’s attention, help them expand their imagination and develop their understanding about science facts. Noha Barrania, Early Childhood Consultant, Trainer & Curriculum Designer, Egypt.
A perfect gift for children. I got this book today and I love it, I love everything about it…the story, the quality, and the illustrations are fabulous!!! Great gift for my grandchildren this Christmas. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Suzanne Genovese
This is a delightful children’s book. The message of sharing and taking turns is what drew me to this book for my granddaughter. It’s a delightful little story about the Sun and the Moon fighting for attention…not unlike every child everywhere. In addition to the sweet story, the illustrations are lovely…A great Christmas gift! Amy O’Malley
This is a wonderful children’s book! I wound up buying this book for all my grandchildren. It is a wonderful little book and beautifully designed and illustrated. The messages are especially important in these critical times and I applaud the author for her insight and wisdom. I recommend this book for any grandparent or parent who wants to impart good values in a fun and entertaining way. Kudos to Ms. Tabner! Mark Scheier
STEM + Kindness in one book = WIN. This story tells a terrific story about the sun and the moon and the roles they play in our universe, but more importantly … it also focuses on the theme of taking turns and acknowledging the importance of those around us. Fun Sun & Moon facts are included at the back of the book. I can see this book being used effectively with lower elementary classrooms. Mary Boone
Terrific find for children. Beautifully illustrated and written. What a great story and lesson for kids. This is a great find on Amazon! I will be ordering many for Christmas gifts. The author seems very dedicated to children’s literacy. I love that she is donating part of her proceeds to keep children reading! I am an experienced elementary school teacher , so I just love the teacher/parent guide and the science and language arts connections across the curriculum. Bravo Ms. Blackstone Tabner! Michelle Supper
Fabulous Book. I purchased this book as I was attracted by the title and the fact it was written by someone with a background with teaching children. The story is charming, beautifully told and leaves the reader and child with a touching message. One to be shared along our life’s paths. The illustrations are perfectly presented to compliment the story and images to convey the unfolding of the tale. I have bought multiple copies, not only for myself but as gifts to relatives and friends with small children that will enjoy this for years to come. Congratulations Marianne Blackstone Tabner sharing your storytelling gift with others and for your dedication to children’s’ literacy. We will be looking for more publications from you. Thank you. Kathleen Peltier
Cute story with great info. Cute story with fun language & awesome facts! The back matter is clever! Enjoyed the story! Marci
This is a beautiful book. We all want our children (and grandchildren) to know the value of taking turns. This book illustrates the advantages of taking turns beautifully by using the moon and sun. There is also a wonderful Q&A section in the back by the author. I highly recommend this book! Kathryn A. Garcia
Heartwarming Values and Illustrations. After the reviews, I wanted to see the book itself. Once I got it, I ordered 3 more as gifts to others!! I really like the underlying message that cooperation and understanding of one another’s views can lead to long-term enjoyment, fulfillment and happiness. In this day and age, this is a priceless lesson to instill in our children at a very early age. They won’t miss such an important message. The illustrations are excellent and the story-line is superb and well-targeted for the young audience. This is the sort of book one can read to a child and hold their attention. I hope this author writes MORE books like this!! We certainly need them! Elona Kolpakova Hart
Lovely picture book for children of all ages. Taking Turns is a fantastic book for all ages! My 4th grade class loves this book and the illustrations. It is a great lead into our science unit on the solar system. The author and illustrator did a wonderful job and also met with my class on Zoom for a Q&A! My students LOVED it! J J Morgan
