Luma holds one end of the red ribbon while three glowing fireflies and a mint-green breeze help lift it away from the moon’s pointed lower tip.

A PICTURE BOOK

Luma and the Lantern Moon

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Luma and the Lantern Moon

Luma, a small blue cloud, looks toward a large silver moon. A bright yellow ball of moonlight sits between them instead of lighting the sky.

Luma was a small blue cloud who lived beside a round, silver moon. Each night, she puffed herself wide to make a soft bed for its moonlight.

But one night, the moonlight did not spread across the sky. It sat in one bright, round lump beside Luma.

“Oh!” said Luma. “The lantern moon has gone out.”

Luma floats beside the silver moon, where a long red ribbon is knotted around its pointed lower tip. A little girl holds up a lantern above the dark town below.

Far below, the town was dark. A fox bumped into a watering can. Two owls squeezed onto one branch because they could not see the others. On the hill, a little girl held up her empty lantern and looked at the sky.

Luma floated closer to the moon. A long red ribbon was tangled around its lower point. It had blown up from a kite party in the clouds and tied itself into a tight knot.

Luma makes a huge blue puff toward the moon. The moon wobbles above her while the red ribbon remains tied at its lower tip.

Luma gave the ribbon one misty tug. The knot did not move.

She tried a bigger puff. “Whoooosh!” The moon wobbled, and Luma wobbled too.

“That was much too big,” she said, curling into a small, worried puff.

Luma and the silver moon face each other above white clouds. Three glowing fireflies hover near the red ribbon knot while a mint-green breeze curls in from the right.

Then Luma spotted three fireflies blinking beside a star. “Can you help me see the knot?” she called.

The fireflies flew close and shone their tiny yellow lights. Luma saw that one loop of ribbon was caught on a sharp moon rock.

“I need a gentle breeze,” said Luma.

A passing night wind heard her. “I can be gentle,” it whispered.

Luma held the loose end. The fireflies blinked brightly, and the night wind blew softly. Together, they lifted the loop up, over, and off the moon rock.

Pop! The knot came free.

The silver moon shines a wide yellow beam over a hill town. Luma floats in the light while a girl with a lantern, a fox, two owls, and two small blue birds look on; the red ribbon curls away.

The red ribbon curled away through the sky. At once, moonlight poured over roofs, trees, and the hill. The fox found his path. The owls flew to their own branches. The little girl’s lantern shone silver, though it had no flame.

Luma made her moonlight bed extra fluffy. Above her, the lantern moon glowed brightly enough for everyone to see.