Night of the Moonjellies - A Classic Children's Book - Written and Illustrated by Mark Shasha

Home / Art gallery / Prints / What is a Moonjelly? / Books / mark / contact / news

night of the moonjellies by
Mark Shasha
Share
"Beautifully illustrated...evokes the fullness of a New England childhood
a strongly atmospheric work"
- Publisher's Weekly

««««« “Sure to become a classic” - Smithsonian Magazine

"Warm and atmospheric"
- American Booksellers
Association

"A strong debut"
- School Library Journal

American Bookseller’s Association
“Pick of the Lists”

Recommended by
"Sesame Street"

Order Your Copy Here

«««««

"Warmth spreads
from cover to cover"
- Booklist

"Alluring and dreamy...Shasha
creates windows into
a world full of detail"
- The New York Times

"Full of the comforting details
of childhood"
- Horn Book

Winner of a
Marion Vannett
Ridgway Book
Award

«««««
"So many layers to this book...
Shasha reminds us that there is
much to share with our children...
hearkens back to a simpler time
when part of being a kid was
sharing experiences with
your elders and learning
to enjoy life with them"

- Kids Aboard Magazine

Recommended by
"Read Aloud America"

What are Moonjellies?

The curious jellies which appear in my story and which I call 'moonjellies' are also known as ‘comb jellies’. The scientific name for them is Ctenophores. They are almost completely clear. They are also bioluminescent, meaning they create their own light. Moonjellies are not true jelly fish and do not sting.

August and September are the best months to find moonjellies along the coast of New England. Sometimes moonjellies may appear in such large numbers that the waves will light up with them at night.

Though easiest to find at night, my friends and I could also find them during the day at the local beach by looking carefully for their small oval-shaped shadows moving with the current across the bottom of the creek. And of course, as in my story, moonjellies may sometimes be found tossed up by a wave onto a sandy beach.

-Mark Shasha

Go to the Moonjellies Page and learn more about Moonjellies

Notice:
A book titled "Gram and the Moonjellies" listed at a few websites as having been written by Mark Shasha in 1924 does not exist and was never published. This error has been attributed to a filing mistake by a publisher or bookseller in the 1990's.

Share |