Moonshifter

Loveday is a shapeshifter, both girl and hare. The gift runs in her family, who have always been leaders in the village of Penros. When a stranger arrives and seizes the Eldership, shapeshifting is outlawed and Loveday’s ability becomes a danger she must hide, running freely as Hare only at night with her fellow shapeshifter, the weasel-girl Vinegar. Spurred by other shapeshifting outcasts, Loveday discovers her unique power to commune with the moon and must find the courage to defeat the usurping Elder and save her beloved Penros.

This story of enchantment and greed celebrates nature, difference and friendship. The wild moorland and fierce cliffs of Penros are beautifully conjured, and Loveday’s transformation into Hare leaps (it’s the only word) through the pages. The beauty and pain of her gift are explored deeply, and Chrimes brings consistency of character to Loveday’s human and animal forms as she learns to use her unique abilities in each. The battle lines between ancient wonder modern avarice, glorious nature and money-grubbing rapacity, are drawn starkly; while Loveday and Weasel run wild beneath the moon, the Elder crushes magic and gashes the earth in his search for gold. Šumberac’s soft charcoal illustrations seem to blow across the page, catching the wind and capturing the magic of the land.

This evocative, deeply-felt story will connect young readers wonderfully with the power and enchantment of nature.