Amazon.com Review
Tomi Ungerer, illustrator of Jeff Brown's original
Flat Stanley and winner of the prestigious 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award, paints the man in the moon as a benevolent, soft-bodied man who curls up in "his shimmering seat in space." Most evenings, he looks over longingly at the happy, dancing earth people, until one night when he can't resist catching the fiery tail of a comet and hitching a ride to Earth. Ungerer, ever satirical, reports the resulting frenzy of authorities upon hearing the crash landing: "The noise brought hundreds of people from a nearby town. Soldiers sped to defend the earth. Firemen hastened to quench the flaming light. The ice cream man hurried to set up his stand for the spectators." Of course, when the crowd discovers the unidentified fallen object, "statesmen, scientists, and generals panicked." Moon Man is thrown in jail, facing criminal investigation! How will he ever return to his lunar dwelling? Kids will love this quirky "there's no place like home" tale, and Ungerer's gentle, funny mocking of "important people" won't be lost on anyone. (Ages 4 to 8)
--Karin Snelson
From Publishers Weekly
In Ungerer's (Crictor; Moon Man) first children's book in 25 years, a delightfully witty and lighthearted look at race relations, a cat couple is startled to discover that their newborn is a dog. (This "genetic mishap" is traced to a great-grandmother's secret marriage to a pug.) The doting parents bring up squat, jowly, wrinkly-faced Flix to climb trees and eat fried mice and pickled canaries. Under the tutelage of his basset hound godfather, the pup also learns pride in his canine heritage and masters the dog language. Flix's combined talents win him the respect of both communities, the love of a French exchange-student poodle and eventually a career in politics, in which he campaigns to end cat-dog segregation. Ungerer celebrates the versatility and perspective Flix gains from his mixed ancestry while still acknowledging the hardship of not fitting in. His lively illustrations, which feature highly expressive and individualized faces, are more supple and playful than in earlier books. The accomplished artwork brims with funny touches such as a rat-crossing sign in Cattown (speed up!) and a monument to Laika (the first dog to orbit in space) in Dogtown; more pointed details include the no-dogs-allowed sign in a posh Cattown restaurant. Ungerer's return to the field will be welcomed by all who discover this charming addition to his oeuvre, but will be especially appreciated by children growing up in more than one cultural tradition. Ages 6-10. (May) FYI: Tomi Ungerer's The Three Robbers, Moon Man and No Kiss for Mother are being reissued in paperback, as well as Heidi (by Johanna Spyri) in a hardcover edition. (Roberts Rinehart/Tom!Co, $6.95 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 1-57098-206-6; $6.95 40p ages 4-8 ISBN -207-4; $5.95 40p ages 6-10 ISBN -208-2; $19.95 312p all ages ISBN -162-0; May)
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