Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Moongirl
Illustrator: Courtney Booker , Peter Chan
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Candlewick, 2006 ISBN: 978-0763630683
Leon is fishing on the bayou one night when he catches something quite out of the ordinary, a fish of stars. Before he quite knows what is happening, the fish pulls his little boat out of the water and carries it across the night sky until it crashes on the moon. No, actually it crashes through the moon’s surface which is as thin as paper.
Leon finds himself in a room filled with a carousel and there he meets a little girl, Moongirl. Together Leon and Moongirl set about fixing the hole Leon’s boat made in the moon’s surface. Leon learns that a monster called the gargaloon hates moonlight and wants the moon to be dark. Imagine having a moon which never shines? While the children are repairing the hole, the gargaloon sneaks in and steals the jar of lightening bugs which Leon brought with him from Earth. Now what are the children to do? Will the moon be dark forever or will the children and their animal friends be able to recapture the precious jar of lightning bugs?
Based on a short animated film which the author created, this picture book is sure to delight children who enjoy playing in the moonlight on a summer’s night, collecting lightning bugs to put in a jar. With atmospheric artwork rendered in soft earthy colors, this picture book perfectly explains why the moon has one side which is light and one side which is dark.
An award winning special edition DVD of Henry Selnick’s “Moongirl” is included in this set.
