Moon Boy (CL) [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Carolyn Grace Garcia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The Man in the Moon is so busy pulling the earth's tides that he has no time to play with his son, Moon Boy, who travels to Earth in search of playmates. When he lands in Poppygold, he carefully observes the customs of the people and then imitates them. But most people are suspicious of the round-faced visitor with the strange doors in his chest. Only Ed Bread is intrigued enough to find out what is really inside Moon Boy, and the two bond over their shared hopes and dreams. Charming and whimsical, the vivid illustrations help make Moon Boy a memorable read.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The protagonist of this message-driven debut picture book, the Old Man in the Moon's son, yearns to make friends when he makes a visit to Earth. But he scares people: he has a round, glowing head and a torso that resembles a cupboard with two doors. Two neat-freak girls are convinced that there are dust bunnies and even dust elephants inside Moonboy's chest; the baker is sure there is a miraculous baking machine that will put him out of business, and so on. What's in Moonboy's heart turns out to be all the things he loves: a crowded picture shows stars, whales, pets, crowns, toys and more spilling from the opened doors of his chest. This display somehow persuades the humans that Moonboy, at heart, is like them, and they show up at his house with gifts. Slow pacing and an overly allegorical approach obscure the lesson. The art, however, commands interest. Old-fashioned cross-hatching combines with postmodern figures in an arresting mix of classic and contemporary styles. Tidy patterning contains the profusion of elements on each spreadAthey are busy but inviting. Ages 4-9. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-This somewhat didactic picture book tells the story of Moonboy, who arrives in the town of Poppygold, tries to make friends, but is feared and ostracized by the townspeople. Granted, he is unusual looking: his body is a rectangular cabinet with two doors, and his globelike head is adorned with an oval mouth that looks like a rubber band and a half-cylinder nose similar to a salt shaker. He throws a party but nobody comes. One boy, Ed, is tempted to but discouraged by his neighbors' warnings that Moonboy's head glows or that his cabinet is full of dust bunnies or worse.... Nevertheless, Ed cautiously ascends the hill to the newcomer's house and discovers what is really in Moonboy's cabinet, and all ends happily. The cartoonlike, stylized illustrations are slightly reminiscent of the work of Henrik Drescher and Maira Kalman, an acquired taste for some children. They are colorful with an emphasis on pastel hues. The book is well designed and has a creative use of typography and layout. The text is suitable for independent reading as well as for reading aloud, but the story is clearly designed to deliver the message, making it read more like a tract than literature. However, it may find a use with adults looking for materials that teach tolerance.
Tim Wadham, Dallas Public Library, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Beyond Words Publishing (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885223811
• ISBN-13: 978-1885223814
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story--Great Message!, January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Boy (CL) (Hardcover)

Moonboy is wonderfully written and illustrated. The positive message of how prejudice can isolate another person is artfully presented through the experiences of the title character. In this age of violence, all young people should be exposed to this story!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it now, thank me later!, July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Boy (CL) (Hardcover)

This book has it all: Great story, phenomenal artwork. In the tradition of William Joyce and J. Otto Seibold, "Moonboy" is a combination of top-notch storytelling and exquisitely, thoughtfully detailed artwork. Buy it. Read it. Keep it forever.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Today's kids should be exposed to the lessons in this book!, May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Boy (CL) (Hardcover)

Considering the mayhem in today's schools and the fact that experts are saying that changes in sensitivity must be made at the elementary level, the book Moonboy is made to order! This wonderful book imparts a valuable lesson--that differences in dress and custom must not be deciding factors on who the person really is, that we must look beneath or beyond the surface. Moonboy is a love, but he looks and acts very different, due to his previous alien environment. He lived on the Moon with his father who was too busy pulling the tides, etc., to pay attention to him and play with him. The Old Man in the Moon advised his son to find friends on earth, so Moonboy jumped down to a town called Poppygold. He could wish for anything and it appeared--everything but friends. He was very sad and lonely, alienated in a way he did not expect, but still he hoped someone would come into his life. Across town a kid named Ed Bread decided to do something nobody else had tried-- to go and see for himself what this "weird new kid" was all about. Moonboy shows Ed what's inside of him. It's not scary, bad stuff, not the horrors everyone else in Poppygold imagined. What's inside of Moonboy is simply wonderful--a world of imagination and beauty, of love and joy. All it takes is one sensitive kid (Ed, in this case) to search for that goodness, and he brings this find to everyone else in the town. How many little kids are shunned because they're different? How many sit on the sidelines and cry because they're not allowed into the "in" crowd? This starts very early. My own daughter experienced this sort of thing in gradeschool, and I'm sure it was part of the reason she wrote about it so convincingly in her first book. Then, there are her fantastic illustrations. I watched her as she drew and painted many of the pages. Each page took a month. Her last pages were produced in Portland where the summer temp. soared up to 100 degrees. She sat in her un-airconditioned attic with three fans pointed at her, a sweatband around her forehead so she wouldn't drip on the pages she was working on, and she took her time. She's meticulous, and it shows in the work. I'm proud of her, and even if this weren't my own daughter's book, I'd love it. If I were a gradeschool teacher, I'd want to use it in my class room.