HOW DO YOU BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE MOON?
Who’s never thought about the moon?
A light-skinned, long-haired child and a green dragon pal wonder about the world. They seek answers to such imponderables as “How many songs can a bird sing?” and “How many different flowers are in the world”? Their equally inquisitive friends, an octopus and a cat, join them in their quest for answers. Their most crucial inquiry concerns the moon: “Would she ever come and stay with us?” The gang pore over books in search of answers, hold welcoming picnics for the moon, tell her stories, and play music—to no avail. Finally, they set out to find the moon. Success! Even better: She returns with them and drinks so much milk tea that she becomes fuller and rounder with each cup—until she’s too round to stay. What to do? Child, dragon, octopus, and cat must return the moon to the sky and “welcome her back whenever she’d like…for more milk tea.” Kids will respond immediately to this sweet fantasy, told with an air of simple, breathless wonderment, and will gladly volunteer their own questions about the world and the moon. The delicate, airy illustrations, created with a limited, soft palette, appear on pages as if seen from a distance and suit the story beautifully. A recipe for milk tea for two is included.
Readers will delight in this enchanting book…and be eager to befriend the moon themselves.
Kikus reviews
A book practically guaranteed to precipitate many a big hug.
A polar bear needs help warming up.
The hulking bear is soon joined by a white duck and a pale-skinned child clad in a dress. When the youngster politely asks how the bear is feeling, the animal bare, though covered in fur complains of the cold.
A succession of suggestions follows. Exercise? “But…I’m still cold.” A steaming bath? Hot tea? Warm clothes? Blankets? A roaring fire? All prove ineffective, but they’re an essential build-up to the final offer: “How about a BIG hug? A really BIG hug.” Bingo! Bigdelou’s text is delightfully predictable; the charm and humor derive from the art: delicate but assured lines, with carefully calibrated use of color (mostly red), and a visual insistence on incongruity. The child sports exaggeratedly long braids that float along exuberantly, never hanging down. After being offered some tea, the huge bear carefully clutches one of many tiny teacups. The bear’s depiction nicely balances realism with anthropomorphism; it’s especially amusing to see the beast in the bathtub or performing calisthenics. The bear eventually dons a polka-dot jacket, red-striped socks, and a ridiculous yellow hat. For the “BIG hug,” the child’s arms can scarcely embrace more than the bear’s snout. And the duck occasionally surprises, offering assistance here and there. This one’s sure to be on repeat request over a cold winter.
Kikus reviews