Goth Moth, by Kai Lüftner/Illustrated by Wiebke Rauers, Translated by Tim Mohr, (Sept. 2024, North South Books), $19.95, ISBN: 9780735845558
Ages 4-8
Shy moth Walter keeps to himself in his little attic home, but inside, he’s got the heart of a musician: “Unwatched, pumping hands and feet, / He bashes out a nonstop beat, / Whirly, twirling his drumsticks, / Pounding tom-toms, hi-hat tricks”. He’s a “Goth Moth” and a big fan of Lady B. Marie, aka Jitterbug, but to actually go to one of her shows? Yikes, that’s going out in the daytime! When Goth Moth ultimately ends up at a Jitterbug show, the unthinkable happens: can Goth Moth save the show by taking the stage and playing the drums for real? This sweet story, originally published in Switzerland, has a playful rhyme scheme and takes on overcoming anxiety and fear. The details in the illustration are spot on, with deep browns to give the goth-y look, and a little bit of zing within those browns to wake them up; there are bursts of color around Walter to bring light to the drab. Mohr uses wordplay to create buggy versions of popular albums, including works by Iron Mantis and Def Lepidoptera. Walter sports skulls on his wings; his buddies have very gothy black t-shirts. Goth Moth is an adorable companion to Lüftner and Rauers’s Jitterbug (2023). The duo makes a fun addition to storytime collections – if your readers liked Punk Farm by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, these will be wildly received.
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