CREATURES IN THE CLASSROOM
Little Luna is big enough to start school, but will the monsters scare her away?

San Francisco, CA—School can seem like a scary place if you don’t know what to expect. A new book from award-winning author Jorge Argueta will guide all children through their first-day-of-school jitters. Moony Luna / Luna, Lunita Lunerais a sweet and playful story of a little girl’s many anxieties about school, and how she overcomes them.

Luna is five years old and it’s finally time for her to start school. Even though she feels as big as the full moon, she can’t stand the thought of the hairy, scary monsters that await her there. Her loving parents try to convince her that there’s nothing to be scared of, but that doesn’t stop one particular little monster from creeping into her thoughts. With the help of a kind teacher and some welcoming new friends, Luna decides that school is suddenly not as frightening as she imagined.

Author Jorge Argueta, who named this character after his own daughter, Luna, has created another delightful picture book that speaks to all youngsters who have ever been afraid to go to school. Children will adore the little monster who mimics Luna’s actions throughout the book (and will be pleased to see that the monster is not so scary.) The illustrations by renowned artist Elizabeth Gómez are bright and whimsical, filling each page with joy and wonder.

• Poet and author, Jorge Argueta won the Américas Award for his first book, A Movie in My Pillow.
• This is the only first-day-of-school book that features a Latino family.
• Parents, teachers, librarians and anyone who works with young children will find this playful story especially useful in helping children ease into a new classroom environment.
• Children are sure to find comfort in Luna’s experience and an instant friend in the little monster that shares her fears.
• The bilingual format will be helpful in bilingual homes and classrooms.
• A free curriculum guide for teachers will be available in the Teaching & Learning section.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jorge Argueta, a widely honored Salvadoran poet, has a daughter, Luna, who, when she was five years old, had her own questions about school. Today he is the author of several children’s books, including A Movie in My Pillow and Xochitl and the Flowers. These books have received numerous prestigious prizes, including the Américas Award, the Independent Publishers Award, and the Skipping Stones Award.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Elizabeth Gómez, a favorite of Children’s Book Press readers for her brilliant illustrations for The Upside Down Boy and for A Movie in My Pillow, is a native of Mexico City currently living in California. She has received high praise and numerous honors for her spirited, imaginative artwork, most currently, the Américas Award and the Latino Spirit Award. Her two daughters like having a painter for a mom, even if sometimes that means they have to be very quiet while she works.

Moony Luna / Luna, Lunita Lunera
Children’s fiction – Full-color illustrations throughout
ISBN 0-89239-205-3– $16.95 – 8 3/4” x 9 1/2” – 32 pages
Ages 6 and up – April 2005

ABOUT CHILDREN’S BOOK PRESS
Children’s Book Press is a nonprofit publisher of quality children’s literature from Latino, African American, Asian American and Native American communities. Since its inception in 1975, Children’s Book Press has been a pioneer in creating an authentic literature of inclusion that gives all young people a sense of their own ethnic history and importance. The press focuses on publishing contemporary stories of children’s experiences from these communities in the United States, often in a bilingual format. Children’s Book Press is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2005.