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WORK TITLE: Ray
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WEBSITE: https://www.emilykatemoonbooks.com/
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PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and illustrator.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 1, 2024, Maryann Owen, review of Puff: All about Air, p. 50.
Children’s Bookwatch, March 1, 2021, review of Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2013, review of Joone; January 15, 2021, review of Drop; February 1, 2024, review of Puff; March 1, 2025, review of Ray.
Publishers Weekly, April 22, 2013, review of Joone, p. 51.
ONLINE
Emily Kate Moon website, https://www.emilykatemoonbooks.com (August 31, 2025).
Lauri Fortino’s Frog on a (B)Log, https://frogonablog.net/ (August 11, 2013), author interview.
Hello!
I am Emily and I write and illustrate picture books.
Welcome to my website!
As a creative person, I’ve always loved making things with my hands—drawing, writing, gardening, sewing, tinkering, fort-building. I delight in the magic of creating something out of (seemingly) nothing! ✨✍️✨ I’m also endlessly curious, always asking questions, always learning. 🤓 And I love sharing what I discover! Through my children’s books, I get to write words, paint pictures, and talk about the wonders of the universe! 💧🌈🌦️
My new children’s book series, Science Pals, is here to introduce the basics of science and nature! I know, it’s a big ask, but I’m starting small… with a Drop 💧 of water, a Puff 💨 of air, and a Ray 🌟 of light! These adorable characters are ready to teach science in a new, fun way!
I started this series with a splatter painting. I put a smiley face on a blue ink drop and there she was, my new children’s books character! 💧I had just moved to Florida and I was new to the daily storms of the tropics. There was always so much water falling from the sky! It was awe-inspiring! It got me painting splatter art and studying the water cycle. And after much painting and pondering, and writing and revising, Drop became a book (2021, Dial Books of PRH).
After Drop, which gained great reach (770,000 copies distributed) through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as a Blue Ribbon Selection in 2022 and 2023, I was excited to make a book about Drop’s bestie, Puff. So I got to work again, this time, writing all about air. Now, in order to make Puff, I had to tinker away for a couple years learning how to layer my art Photoshop, which ended up paving the way for Ray, whom I made almost entirely in Photoshop. I just love that Drop is literally made of drops of water 💦 and Ray is literally made of pixels of light. 🌟
I’m so happy the Science Pals are getting out there in the world, helping kids understand it. And since today’s kids are jumping into science younger than ever, now is a good time to be talking about it! Children are growing up in a new world of tech and discovery, so they need to be grounded with a fundamental understanding of how things work in our physical world. I hope my books answer questions, spark wonder, and help kids explore the fascinating universe around them—so they’re ready to shine in a future full of possibilities. 🪐✨🌏✨💫✨
Interview Alert: Emily Kate Moon
I’d like to extend a big Frog on a Blog welcome to up-and-coming picture book author and illustrator Emily Kate Moon. Her first picture book (and certainly not her last) Joone was published this year. Joone stars a precocious and sweet little girl and features bright colors and a whole lot of fun. I think fun may be the perfect word to describe Emily Kate who, as you can tell by her wonderfully detailed interview responses, has a lot of fun doing what she does. You will no doubt enjoy this interview as much as I did.
Q. You are both an author and an illustrator; which do you prefer and how did you get your start in the children’s picture book arena?
EKM. Oooh… I don’t know if I could say that I prefer one over the other. I really love them both. And they are so interconnected, I find it that one gets the other going! When I sit down to start a new idea, I do it with a pad and pencil. If the words don’t come, the drawings do. And with each pencil stroke, the story comes to life, whether my pencil is making a picture or a word. It’s a really fun process. And when I’m really in the flow, it feels like I am channeling from some other place. That’s the most glorious moment of all: when I have no struggle to create what comes out — I’m just the one holding the pencil!
I got started in the children’s picture book arena when I was 17. I illustrated someone else’s book, but it didn’t go anywhere. It was an important step, though. It definitely started my career. (It’s a long story, actually. If people want to know more, send them to my website blog!)
studio shotQ. What is your workspace like and do you have a favorite medium you like to work with when creating your illustrations?
EKM. My workspace consists of two desks: a drafting table that tilts, and a flat desk on which rests my computer and art supplies. I also have lots of cubbies and drawers and a big bookshelf full of children’s books! Looking around right now, my studio is kind of a mess. I guess I like it that way. It feels like something is always in progress!
My default medium is pencil on paper. It’s the easiest for me. I also love fat felt tip markers. But I really enjoyed learning how to use gouache when making the illustrations for Joone. Gouache is a magical medium! It’s somewhere between watercolor and acrylic. And I also love doing large paintings: abstracts of acrylic on canvas. I’ve just moved to Florida and right now I’m inspired by the ocean so I’m working on a series of wave paintings. I love standing outside at an easel, with the music on, lots of colors to choose from, a cup of brushes and a bucket of water — just going with the flow to see what happens!
Q. What inspired you to create your picture book Joone?
EKM. Joone wandered into my head one day, fully formed, and bugged me until I knew I had to write about her. I had always wanted to write and illustrate children’s books, so it didn’t really surprise me that this little girl popped in one day and wouldn’t go away! She came with all the details: orange dress, purple hat, brown shoes and turtle atop her head! She even came with a grandfather. (The yurt came soon thereafter.) I grew up in California, so the setting is inspired by the country hills and vineyards that surrounded me there.
Q. Who are your favorite authors and illustrators? Any favorite picture books?
EKM. I have all sorts of favorites! And I love so many of the new authors these days that my list just keeps growing! I think storytelling, in general, is getting better. Which makes sense, I guess, as we learn from each other and expand on our collective work. But some of my classic favorites are Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard, and the many tales by Beatrix Potter. As a little kid, I memorized Eloise from beginning to end (which is quite a feat, considering the length of that story!) and I later filled drawing pads with watercolor reproductions of Ernest Shepard’s and Beatrix Potter’s beautiful illustrations. I also love Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, and Joone’s proportions were greatly influenced by Calvin! And, of course, who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss… I’m pretty sure he has influenced us all! But my all-time favorite children’s book is Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. That one just really hits me! It makes me emotional all the way through because it is so well done. By page 4, my children are like, “Mom why are you crying?” and I say, “Oh! Because it’s just so good!”
Q. Can you tell us about any picture book projects you are working on right now?
EKM. Joone 2! Joone’s sequel is in the works! And then I have several other characters, one in particular, Benny the Singing Dog, who definitely needs a book of his own. Maybe that’ll be next.
Q. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your work?
EKM. My website: www.emilykatemoon.com or Joone’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/joonebook.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share with picture book fans?
EKM. When I tell people what I do, they often say, “I’ve got an idea for a children’s book!” or “My cousin wants to do that!” It seems everyone has an unmade picture book in their lives somewhere. But it’s something that remains faraway… mostly because they don’t know how to move it forward. My answer to them is, “Just start it.” (Or tell your cousin to start!) Start by writing it down. Make it as good as you can. Read it to people, including children, and see what responses you get. Be willing to change it. If it’s great, submit it to an agent! (Agents are everywhere, but it will require some work to find the right one.) And some of the best advice I ever got is this: do not team up with an illustrator. It reduces your chances of being published. Either do it all yourself or submit the manuscript alone. These agents and editors who will read your manuscript are pros; they can envision illustrations and will match your story with the right illustrator. Most of the people who say they have a children’s book idea but haven’t moved forward with it is because, as they put it, they can’t draw. Don’t let that stop you! There is a whole world of illustrators out there who can draw and would love to illustrate your book! And the world might just love your story….
Joone
Emily Kate Moon. Dial, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3744-0
With her idiosyncratically spelled name, openhearted precociousness, and ever-present pet turtle, Dr. Chin, five-year-old Joone (who notes that, despite her age, "I can count to a hundred") makes a winning tour guide to life with her grandfather. And Grandpa is pretty cool himself: a former scientist ("He can count to a thousand"), he lives in a self-built yurt, and he makes Joone feel that their relationship is one of both deep love and mutual respect. "Every day Grandpa teaches me something new," says Joone. "He says every day I teach him something new, too." Debut author/illustrator Moon's gouache-and-pencil drawings can feel more like storyboard sketches than finished art, and the two characters are generically cheery. But with a one-of-a-kind home, a spectacular tree house, a nearby river for swimming, and the supportive presence of her grandfather, Joone's life is an enviable one. Moon's ability to convey her heroine's self-assured contentment and love for her grandfather without resorting to the twee or overly literal is the mark of a real, if nascent talent. Ages 3-5. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Joone." Publishers Weekly, vol. 260, no. 16, 22 Apr. 2013, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A327725530/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=45a87c04. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Moon, Emily Kate JOONE Dial (Children's Picture Books) $16.99 6, 13 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3744-0
Joone is a free-spirited preschooler who shares what appears to be a pleasantly pastoral life with her grandfather and a pet turtle named Dr. Chin in this quirky debut. The brisk and breezy depiction of a single summer day features familiar activities, unusual settings and a cheerfully childlike first-person narration. Joone's individuality is obvious from the first page, where she notes that she spells her name with "a smiley face." She addresses readers directly, telling them that she lives in a yurt with her grandfather and that she likes ice cream sandwiches and swimming. Moon's bright and colorful illustrations provide additional details and amplify the gentle humor. Joone's red wagon full of rocks, for example, turns out to be the basis for a clever way to make the steps navigable for Dr. Chin, and her generous impulse to leave an ice cream sandwich for the "mail lady" seems destined to turn out not exactly as she plans. The artless charm of the pictures is a perfect match for Joone's endearing personality. Not much really happens, but it's still likely that listeners will request repeat readings to pore over the details of Joone's unusual home and enjoy her creative approach to life. Joone could be a contemporary, country-dwelling cousin to Eloise: another precocious, articulate and turtle-loving child with charm to spare. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Moon, Emily Kate: JOONE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A328141741/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9a2da0dd. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Moon, Emily Kate DROP Dial Books (Children's None) $17.99 2, 16 ISBN: 978-0-8037-4144-7
An anthropomorphic drop of water takes readers through this basic explanation of Earth’s water cycle.
The initial pages predict the perfectly chosen medium of watercolor art throughout. The verso is fully packed with attractive, wavy lines of blue that contain random blotches of the same hue. The white recto shows the same small, round splash of blue shown on the cover, with dots for eyes, a simple smile, and spindly limbs. The main text reads, “This is water.” Black ink lettering nearer to the water droplet allow the droplet a comment: “Hi! I’m Drop!” The next set of pages uses the figure 4,500,000,000 as well as the spelled-out words for the number to show the probable age, in years, of water on the planet. Benign cartoon dinosaurs in upbeat colors add emphasis. Careful design throughout shows all forms of water storage—and release—on Earth. When Drop is warmed by the sun, “she gets all warm and wiggly.” She is invisible for a while, after which some friends join her so they can create clouds and, finally, precipitation—a word never mentioned. Nor are evaporation or condensation. This implies a fairly young audience, as does the cuteness of Drop and her friends. However, the text is a tad too garrulous and pedantic for the youngest readers. In addition, the narrated text—and especially Drop herself—often uses humorous, sophisticated wordplay that further muddies the readership waters. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 20.8% of actual size.)
A striking but somewhat slushy concoction. (Informational picture book. 5-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Moon, Emily Kate: DROP." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A648126985/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1fa6a4ee. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle
Emily Kate Moon
Dial Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
https://www.penguin.com
9780803741447, $17.99, HC, 32pp
https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Adventure-through-Water-Cycle/dp/0803741448
In the picture book pages of Emily Kate Moon's "Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle", children ages 4-8 will enjoy meet Drop. She's water! And she's seen a thing or two--even dinosaurs! Everywhere Drop flows (and she flows everywhere) she makes life on Earth possible, and has a great time doing it. From plummeting from a rain cloud to taking a thousand-year nap in a glacier, Drop will tell all about it!
With delightful panache and a steady stream of funny one-liners, Drop takes her young readers on an adventure through the water cycle and beyond. Filled with irresistible artwork, funny asides, and a steady sprinkle of kid-enticing facts, "Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle" is the story about water everyone has been thirsting for--making it unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book science collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Drop" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
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"Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle." Children's Bookwatch, Mar. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A657991473/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d822c439. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Moon, Emily Kate PUFF Dial Books (Children's None) $18.99 3, 19 ISBN: 9780593617960
An invitation to appreciate the invisible blanket of gases that protect our planet.
In a similarly whimsical follow-up to Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle (2021), a white puff with a smiley face and a stylish quiff conducts readers through simple explanations of how our atmosphere goes everywhere--even deep into the oceans and beneath the surface of the land--to help keep Earth warm, carry droplets of water, deliver the oxygen we require and the carbon dioxide plants need to survive, and spread pollen and seeds. All the smiles, plus neatly drawn flora and fauna floating through blue waters or wafting by under sunny skies, create a beneficent picture undimmed by any mention of hurricanes or jet streams; even the swirling tornado quickly gives way to an assurance that "most of the time, Puff cruises gently" from warmer areas to cooler or vice versa. Sandwiched between summary overviews of our atmosphere's composition and the ins and outs of forces governing atmospheric circulation, the tour concludes with a cheery "Yay! Breathe it all in!" Two brown-skinned human children do just that in the illustrations, either sitting mindfully or standing beneath a windswept kite.
Fresh and breezy, if a bit thin. (Informational picture book. 5-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Moon, Emily Kate: PUFF." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A780840910/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c6e7db32. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Puff: All about Air. By Emily Kate Moon. Illus. by the author. Mar. 2024. 32p. Dial, $18.99 (9780593617960). PreS-Gr. 1.551.5.
This beginner science text explains in easy-to-understand terms and formatting how important air is to life on Earth, including in the sky, underground, and in the sea. To make the learning process accessible, the author employs Puff, a cute mass of air who has been on Earth since the planet's inception. Cheerful illustrations reveal Puff as a small, smiling, circular being with a swirl on his forehead. Puff and his friends are the reason Earth is warmer than outer space and protected from excess radiation. Humans and other animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon, which along with nitrogen and a few other gases make up air. Sometimes Puff moves fast, as in a rainstorm or tornado, while other times he is a gentle breeze. Puff is even capable of spreading seeds and therefore promoting more life on Earth. The book begins with an explanation of the gases that combine to create air and ends with an informational page titled, "How Does Air Move?".--Maryann Owen
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Owen, Maryann. "Puff: All about Air." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 13, 1 Mar. 2024, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A786417510/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f3ab5b1f. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Moon, Emily Kate RAY Dial Books (Children's None) $18.99 6, 10 ISBN: 9780593857984
A beaming ray of sunshine illuminates the role of visible light in energizing life on Earth.
Moon brings the same refreshing combination of charm and solid fact that animated her profiles of water (2021'sDrop) and air (2024'sPuff) to an even more fundamental subject. "I'm traveling light!" exclaims Ray, dashing through space with his fellow star-born rays. And, given that Ray is all energy, there's nothing faster in the universe: "I am the speed limit!" Once through the Earth's atmosphere, which filters out most of the gamma rays and other harmful parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, it's time to light up the planet and provide it with colors, to turn on the heat, to "power the weather," and, best of all, give plants and other forms of life the free energy required to grow. Fans ofDrop andPuff will smile at cameos from the protagonists of those titles. In the vivid illustrations, bursts of light brighten deep seas and underground layers to demonstrate energy's reach, storage, and continual flow, as well as the planetary surfaces, where light plays an essential role in making food for all. In final views, a diverse group of young campers peer into a fire and up at a starry sky. "Every moment you live, you turn light intoyou!" the book concludes. "Oh! The possibilities!"
A high-wattage spotlight on our most important power source.(Informational picture book. 6-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Moon, Emily Kate: RAY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A828785192/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=65d01ab4. Accessed 29 July 2025.