B.C. Dee

The first page of this book is lyrical and enchanting. “Curious Callie/ Courageous and kind,/ Was hunting for pixies/ And fairies benign,/When out of her window,/ Way up in the sky,/ She spied the full moon/ Drifting lazily by.” The rhyming scheme holds fairly well throughout the book. Dee introduces some rich vocabulary: gamboled, twilight, dozed, hither, thither, hostess, subdued, cavorting, waning, obligingly, frantic, immense, and reunite.

The premise, a little girl having tea with the moon, is delightful and unique. Her concern for the shrinking moon is sweet and engaging. If this is a story being read to a young child, he or she will empathize with the little girl’s worry. An older child will chuckle, understanding that the moon is going through its normal monthly cycle.

Unfortunately, the big downfall of this book is the illustrations. Such magical and beautiful words deserve magical and beautiful pictures. The illustrations are awkward and incomplete. With better graphics, this could be an exceptional book.… (more)