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by Clare Helen Welsh (Author), Carolina T. Godina (Illustrator)
In this enchantingly illustrated, almost wordless picture book, a story of courage and creativity unfolds when a girl who is afraid of the dark meets a magical moon bear who is afraid of the light. Ettie is afraid of the dark. Every night, without fail, her Mommy calls, "Time for bed, Ettie!" The curtains pull shut, her bedside lamp blinks out and Ettie is surrounded by the deep inky cloak of the dark...
... Until one night, the bright moon shines through a crack in her drapes. Cautiously, Ettie reaches out a hand to touch the light and is surprised to find that it leaves a glittering mark on her hands. Overcome with curiosity and joy, Ettie dances around her room, drawing with this magical beam of moonlight. She pulls open the drapes and begins to connect the stars in the sky as if they were dots. A moon bear slowly appears in the sky, and when she connects the very last dot, he bursts into life, standing in Ettie's very own bedroom. The bear and Ettie begin to play and explore Ettie's room. But when Ettie switches on her flashlight, the bear hides away in fear. Together, Ettie and the moon bear help each other face their fears. One is afraid of the dark and the other is afraid of the light. This touching story encourages little ones to be brave, in the dark and beyond, empowering them to face their fears. This beautiful book also teaches them the power of visual communication - it's a story that says so much with only a few words, and speaks instead with comforting illustrations to soothe and reassure.Author Biography
Clare Helen Welsh is a children's book author who lives in Devon, in the UK, with her husband and two children. In 2013 Clare won the The Margaret Carey Scholarship for Picture book Writers and in 2014 she received the silver medal at The Greenhouse Funny Prize for her debut picture book Aerodynamics of Biscuits. She teaches primary school and has over ten year's experience in Early Years and Key Stage One education.
Lover of all artistic disciplines since she was little, Carolina T. Godina especially loves drawing and painting. She graduated in Philosophy, from the University of Barcelona (UB), but years later returned to her origins and studied illustration at the Escola Superior Design and Art Llotja (EASD Llotja). Literature and drawing have accompanied her since she was a child and it was thanks to this that she ended up in the world of illustration. Carolina doesn't focus on just one technique, as she enjoys experimenting with different materials. However, much of her work is created using graphite pencil, charcoal and gouache.
