Janice May Udry

This book captures the whimsical joy of a summer night, in which four children play in their backyard with only the moon for their light. Short and simple, this book has an almost dream-like quality while still being completely relatable to young children (and the young at heart, as we remember carefree summer evenings catching fireflies and whatnot until our parents called us in for the night). The illustrations vary between being simple black-and-white sketches on the pages with text and show more being full-color, full-page affairs on the following page spreads. show less

Oh, just lovely. The voice of the little girl Emily is perfectly natural & authentic, but magical & poetic, too. Of course it's a bit old-fashioned, but it's neither sentimental nor stale - rather, it's timeless.

There's no plot, as such, but every experience, every memory, that Emily shares with her doll on this quiet day points to the theme of the circle of life. Grandmother makes the same kind of doll for Emily as she played with when she was a girl, and Emily's big sister used to be the show more one who visited Grandmother, and there's a new baby too little to visit on his own, and the seasons turn 'round, and kittens grow into cats and seeds into watermelons, berries get made into jam so that a taste of summer can be enjoyed in winter....

It all adds up to something that will be enjoyed differently as the reader matures. I'm in the early autumn in my life, so for me the book felt a bit melancholy; my eyes prickled.

Small format for little hands to savor; delightful illustrations. show less

This is a wonderful tale of children who leave the house to go out and dance and frolic in the moon.

Calling themselves the moon jumpers, they twirl and swirl and play silly monster games.

Singing and dancing, they celebrate life and the lovely moon glow.

After reading a number of books containing Sendak's illustrations, I was pleasantly surprised that the only darkness in this tale was the shadows cast on the lawn from playful delight.

Sendak can indeed get a little heavy at times, and thus it show more was a pleasant surprise to absorb the beauty of a fun story with beautiful illustrations.

It is summer time and reading this book brought back childhood memories of playing tag, of catching fire flies and placing them in glass jars, of watching for bats for fear they would swoop in my hair, and I remembered the sound of the Mister Softee ice cream truck and how anxious we were to get a treat.

And, I remember the call of mothers throughout the neighborhood beckoning children to come when the day is done.

I'll obtain copies of this to give as gifts to the lovely children in my life. show less

The present tense telling of the story is unique and makes the reader feel like part of the beautiful world the author and illustrator have created. Every two pages there is a textless double page spread that is serene and peaceful. This is a simple book about siblings frolicking in the night until it is time for bed. This is a beautiful bedtime story.