Impossible Moon

A young girl undertakes an impossible trip to the moon, makes friends with the stars, and brings back something priceless in this gentle and lyrically told picture book about family, history, and memory.

Grana used to tell the best stories, and Mable used to long to soar through the heavens. Nowadays, Grana mostly lies in bed and Mable stays close to home. But one day, Grana asks, “If we can touch the moon, then what is impossible?”

So Mable decides to do just that, embarking on a journey through the stars where The Seven Sistahs, The Big Dipper, and other constellations help her on her quest and teach her about African mythology and African American history. With the support of her new companions, Mable reaches for her biggest dream yet: to make her sick grandma well again.

Breanna J. McDaniel is the author of Hands Up! and Impossible Moon and a children’s literature scholar. She holds an MA in children’s literature from Simmons College and is currently pursuing her PhD at Cambridge University, where her research focuses on representations of black children in contemporary picture books.

Tonya Engle is a self-taught painter and children’s book illustrator, including the pictures for Our Lady of Guadalupe and Impossible Moon and the jacket art for Hurricane Child. Her work is inspired by Southern folk artists. Early in her career, she explored abstract painting but soon began to concentrate on figurative form mixed with emotion and expressionistic narrative. This art style was the perfect complement to Maya Angelou’s lyrical storytelling. Engel lives in Houston, Texas.