Gisela Jernigan, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
The first day of school for five year old Luna is fast approaching and despite encouraging words and reassuring hugs from her understanding parents, she is pretty sure that she does not want to go. With a lively, conversational text, and colorful, child-like illustrations, this bilingual, Spanish/English picture book explores Luna’s feelings as-- with the help of patient parents, teacher and friends--she gradually overcomes her fears and aversion to school. The warm watercolor illustrations complement the text very well and add touches of humor and fantasy to a basically realistic story. This book might help other young children with first day of school fears and is very appropriate for bilingual classrooms, libraries and homes. 2005, Children’s Book Press, $16.95. Ages 3 to 7.

Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
A little girl seesaws between anticipation and anxiety as the first day of school approaches in Moony Luna/Luna, Lunita Lunera . Despite parental reassurances, she is afraid that the school harbors a monster. Indeed, playful illustrations by Elizabeth Gomez show a little monster, childishly drawn with crayons. The monster appears to be struggling with the same emotional ups and downs as Moony Luna. He cries when she does, hides behind his monster mama when welcomed by the teacher and finally comes out to play when beckoned kindly by the other students. Jorge Argueta’s bilingual English/Spanish text will speak to kids everywhere and Gomez’s illustrations go a long way toward taming the worry monster. 2005, Children’s Book Press, $16.95. Ages 4 to 7.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 6))
Even though she is "grande como la luna llena" (big as the full moon), Luna isn't sure that she wants to begin kindergarten. She is positive no one there will call her "Luna, lunita lunera" ("moony little Luna"), and she fears the possibility of ugly monsters with scary voices. While hiding beneath a table, however, she is rescued by her classmates and discovers the joys of school life-singing nursery rhymes, writing her name in colorful letters and listening to stories. This timeworn theme is made fresh with a lively, bilingual text full of familial love and G-mez's brilliant acrylic illustrations, featuring a little crayoned monster on several pages and Luna's long, thin parents in contrast to Luna's tiny body and oversized head. 2005, Children's Book Press, 32p, $16.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 4 to 6. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
In this predictable bilingual book, five-year-old Luna is nervous about her first day of school. That night her mother reads her "a story about a little monster who goes to school." The next morning Luna is afraid of monsters in her class; of course, she overcomes her fear. The bold folk-art-style illustrations creatively convey Luna's growing confidence. Category: Preschool. 2005, Children's, 32pp, 16.95. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Irene Arreola (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews, (Vol. 18, No. 2))
MOONY LUNA is the story of a five-year-old girl who is not sure about going to school. Her mother reads her a bedtime story about monsters going to school and tells her that the monsters have a good time at school. So Luna gets excited about and decides to go. When she wakes up in the morning, her mother takes her to school to meet her new teacher. After Luna meets her teacher, her mother leaves, and Luna hides under the table because she is afraid. She hears voices and sees a lot of little hands reaching out to her. She comes out from under the table, and all the other children play with her. Luna decides that school is not so bad after all. Fiction. Grades 1-5. 2005, Children's Book Press, 31p., $16.95. Ages 6 to 11.