Little Moons

August 15, 2024
A moving exploration of how grief affects people, centering on an Ojibwe family. When 15-year-old Chelsea doesn't come home after school one day, her family deals with trying to find closure. A year passes, and the family members are coping with their trauma in different ways. Reanna hopes to feel closer to her sister through traditional dancing and wearing Chelsea's regalia. Their mother does everything to distance herself from her life on the reserve, however. She moves to the city, leaving Reanna and little brother Theo with their father, a caring man with whom they have a strong relationship. The story handles the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People with dignity and authenticity. The limited text on some pages draws focus to the art and its powerful imagery. Many story elements add to the authenticity and nuance, from the portrayal of the various ways Indigenous people style their hair to the inclusion of Ojibwe mourning traditions and the poignant notifications on Reanna's phone, showing her photos that revive memories from a time before her sister vanished and highlight how fractured her family has become. The ways that Chelsea's family tries to find closure and deal with her absence vary, realistically showcasing the forms grief can take and the struggle of longing for answers one may never get. A powerful and sensitively told story. (content warning, author's note)(Graphic fiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-A fictional depiction of true events that brings to light the discussion of missing people and how their disappearance affects those that are left behind, more specifically, in Indigenous and Native communities. This graphic novel takes on the difficult responsibility of expressing to readers that sometimes, even if it's hard, even if there are no true answers, some things are important to speak about, read about, and talk about. Reanna's sister Chelsea disappears on her way home from school. Each person in Chelsea's community reconciles their grief in their own way; Reanna wants to hold on to Chelsea's memory, while some members of her family want to forget and move forward. Then there are others who can see and feel Chelsea's spirit lingering in the household. The text and illustrations, alongside Reanna's perspective, offer readers a view into Ojibwe culture and heritage and the traditions that are performed in memoriam of a loved one. Viewed through Reanna's eyes, the perspective makes it easy to empathize with their loss and with all of the characters; one can see how grief touches everyone in different ways. Though some may feel uncomfortable with the ambiguity of the story's ending, the reality is that sometimes things are left uncertain, and as the author stated, "Grief is messy and complex; it is love with nowhere to go." VERDICT Storm and the art team beautifully weave a story about culture, heritage, family, loss, and grief in a tight-knit package.-Cat Miserendino

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
Grades 8-12 When 15-year-old Chelsea goes missing, her family reacts in different ways. Her mother, Andrea, moves to the city, searching for new opportunities. Her younger sister, Reanna, finds solace in their First Nations culture--powwow dancing in Chelsea's regalia, participating in traditional rituals and ceremonies. Only youngest Theo feels Chelsea's lingering spirit. Destined to never know Chelsea's fate, those left behind must find some version of peace--together. Author Storm draws on her Ojibwe heritage, integrating her personal loss of a loved one. Her son, she reveals, inspired Theo's character; he originated the phrase "like little moons" to describe seeing his missing aunty in his room. For Storm, this book is her "semblance of closure." Cartoonist Howe and nonbinary Ojibwe artist RL create vibrant pages that favor deep violets and dark blues. Wordless panels adroitly enhance the narrative, with Theo's joyful play, the family's suffocating grief, and Andrea's new (white) boyfriend's cultural blunders and microaggressions. The creators indelibly humanize the alarming murder and missing rates for Indigenous women and girls across Canada and the U.S. with names, family, memories.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
In this compact YA graphic novel about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People, Reanna deals with the disappearance of her older sister, Chelsea, and then her mom's unexpected, grief-fueled move to the city to make "a new life for myself." Rituals and cultural traditions lessen tensions and help the family cope with loss. While the book contains some distracting subplots, Storm (Ojibwe) handles this family's story with great sensitivity. The panel illustrations are accessible if somewhat static. An author's note is appended.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)