This whimsical picture book for the very young is British Columbia writer Lynn Manuel’s first. Dedicated to her grandson, it tells the story of a child and a grandmother taking a walk in the moonlight. The child blows kisses to the moon in case it is lonesome; the moon responds by blowing frozen kisses – “Swirly kisses, twirly kisses, willowy billowy wisps of kisses” – in a light flurry of snow.

The text is fresh and gentle, like the kisses it describes, and clearly reveals the love between child and grandparents. The length is just right for young children who have graduated from books with minimal text but may not be ready to sit still for too long. California illustrator Robin Spowart’s coloured pencil drawings in deep hues of purple, blue, green, and black are filled with movement and pale moonlight.

The Night the Moon Blew Kisses, with its poetic style and lovely illustrations, offers young children a warm-hearted look at the very Canadian experience of winter.