Description

What is Moonlight Animals?

Moonlight Animals is a hardcover picture book from Running Press Kids with a simple, memorable trick: each spread looks like a dark forest at night until a child slides the paper flashlight underneath the page. The flashlight is an insert card, not an electronic light. As it moves, the hidden animals on the page appear to glow. The effect is entirely mechanical, printed on the paper, and works every time without batteries.

The book covers nocturnal animals a child might learn about on a visit to a national forest or park: owls, raccoons, deer, foxes, bats, and others. Every spread pairs a reveal scene with a short “Did you know” fact about the animal. The author is Elizabeth Golding. The illustrations are by Ali Lodge. It is part of Running Press Kids’ Lightbeam Books series, which uses the same flashlight mechanic across a handful of related titles.

How the magic flashlight works

The “flashlight” is a paper card tucked into the front of the book. When a child slides it between the printed page and the layer underneath, the ink pattern changes what is visible. Dark spreads become lit scenes with the animals revealed in color. It is a printing technique, not a battery-powered light, which means there is nothing to break and nothing to replace.

For kids, the best part is that the book does not tell them what is hiding. They have to move the flashlight around to find it.

Specifications

• Format: Hardcover picture book with paper flashlight insert
• Pages: 12
• Dimensions: 8.25 in x 11 in
• Weight: 18 oz
• ISBN-13: 978-0-7624-4316-1
• Publisher: Running Press Kids (imprint of Hachette Book Group)
• Published: August 30, 2011
• Series: Lightbeam Books
• Author: Elizabeth Golding
• Illustrator: Ali Lodge
• Reading age: 3 to 8 years
• Language: English

Who is this for?

The book is calibrated for kids 3 to 8. Toddlers under 3 can enjoy it with a parent working the flashlight, but the fine motor control to aim the insert and find the animals is easier from about age 4. Older readers in the 6 to 8 range will read the “Did you know” facts themselves and can hand the book to younger siblings to try the flashlight.

As a gift, it fits visitors to the Black Hills who are traveling with children, and parents who are looking for a quiet-time book that does something more than just turn pages. It travels well: no batteries, no parts that rattle loose, and the flashlight card tucks back into the cover when it is not in use.

Connection to the Black Hills

The Black Hills National Forest supports many of the nocturnal animals featured in the book. Great horned owls, raccoons, red foxes, white-tailed deer, little brown bats, and porcupines all live in the forest and are most active at dusk or after dark. Kids who use the book at home and then visit the region are primed to look and listen for the real versions of the animals they have been finding on the page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the flashlight use batteries?
No. The “flashlight” is a paper insert card. The reveal effect is printed on the pages. There is nothing to charge, replace, or break.

What happens if the flashlight card is lost?
The book is best with the original card, which is sized exactly for the page mechanic. Replacement inserts are not sold separately by the publisher. Keeping the card tucked into the front or back cover when the book is not in use is the simplest way to keep it with the book.

What age is this for?
Running Press Kids rates it for ages 3 to 8. Kids as young as 2 can enjoy it with a parent working the flashlight, though the fine motor skill to aim the card is easier from about age 4. The short reading-level text and the “Did you know” facts work through early elementary ages.

How many pages and how long does it take to read?
12 pages. A first read-through with a young child usually takes 10 to 15 minutes because of the time spent hunting for hidden animals on each spread. Subsequent reads are faster as kids remember what is on each page.

Is it durable enough for a toddler?
It is a standard hardcover, not a board book. The pages are paper, not cardboard. Toddlers who handle books roughly may tear pages. Kids who can turn a page without grabbing handfuls will be fine.

What animals are in the book?
The book covers nocturnal forest wildlife including owls, raccoons, foxes, deer, and bats. Each spread introduces a different animal with a short fact. The complete list is visible from the product photos on the page.

Are there other books in the Lightbeam series?
Yes. Running Press Kids has published other titles using the same flashlight reveal mechanic on different themes (ocean, dinosaurs, and others, depending on what is in print at any given time). They are sold separately.

Does buying this support national parks?
Yes. BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.

Is this book available at other retailers?
Moonlight Animals is a nationally distributed title and is carried by booksellers and some park-area gift shops. Buying from BHPFA directs a larger share of proceeds to our partner parks and forests than buying elsewhere.