6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who Will Help Make Things Right Again?, November 19, 2004
This review is from: The Moon Came Down on Milk Street (Hardcover)
It's a Lunar 9-1-1 on Milk Street when the moon comes down-and it's up to everyone to help put it back in the sky. I discovered this book purely by accident while I was browsing the picture book section, but I'm glad I did-it's a beautiful little treasure for any childhood library.
In the urban setting of Milk Street one night, the moon comes down. And all the children come to help dressed as firemen and policemen, all eager to fix things. The text is very simple, perfect to be read to a very young child or read by a child just learning to read. In some ways the restful and gentle nature of the lyrical words reminds me of GOODNIGHT MOON, but the similarities end there. The warmly colored gouache and mixed media pictures are simply drawn, depending on a soft cartoon style rather than detailed-realistic. They work perfectly with the words and subject, creating an almost dream-like feel to this story. All the characters are children in their pajamas and animals, all running to help. This is a proactive tale, a positive story of an emergency that is solved by cooperation. And, by the time the children wish each other goodnight and go off to bed, readers know they well deserve their peaceful sleep.
This book tackles some important issues. Anyone familiar with what happened on 9/11 in 2001 will be quick to see similarities here. The pictures of children clothed in police and firefighter gear gathered in the street and all pitching in to help is an echo of similar images people saw after the events of 9/11. The moon dust on their pajamas even echoes the soot. But the reflection isn't brutal or dark; the similarities are gentle reminders-not scary. And the message is positive, and essential for children to hear. When an emergency happens, people will band together to help "set things right again." It teaches children a powerful lesson within a fairly gently told tale that will inspire hope, not fear.
This isn't a book about 9/11, of course. It can be read to cover many different traumatic events and emergencies. On the first page of the book, the author makes mention of Fred Rogers "when he was a child, if he ever came across a car accident or some other terrifying scene his mother would tell him, `Look for the helpers.'" And that's what this book is about. Helpers. It is a tribute to them, and an inspiration to a new generation of them.
I'd recommend this book for children anywhere from age 1-4, and especially for children who might be coping with fears or worries that this addresses. This is a remarkable little book and deserves some recognition for the beautiful art, musical prose and important message.
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
teamwork!, December 7, 2004
This review is from: The Moon Came Down on Milk Street (Hardcover)
Late one night on Milk Street the moon falls from the sky! What should the people do? They all come together and work as a team to set in right in the sky! Everyone helps! The fire chief, worker dogs, rescue workers and citizens of the community work until the job is done!
The book teaches the values of teamwork, cooperation and sense of community to young children.
I would recommend this book to kids who are just learning to read on their own. The will enjoy the simple text. Only a few words are on each page making the book very easy for them to read in one sitting.
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