I Took the Moon for a Walk

by Carolyn Curtis illustrated by Alison Jay

Follow the magical adventure of a young boy who goes exploring with his friend, the Moon. I Took the Moon for a Walk combines lyrical verse with detailed illustrations, creating a dramatic backdrop for this imaginative journey. Readers will marvel at the serene beauty of the world at night.  At the end of the story, readers can discover facts about the passage of the moon across the sky and its influence on our lives. There is also a page about nocturnal creatures.  “I Took the Moon for a Walk is ideal for shared reading…In a magical adventure, a little boy walks across a rural landscape, the moon beside him, with neighbourhood dogs supplying a choir. Moon’s eye, and worm’s eye perspectives free the viewer to roll, bowl, rise, fall and float effortlessly with the main participants.” Times Educational Supplement   Book Review: This sweet story, written in rhyme, will appeal immensely to the young child. In the tale, a young boy takes a walk through the countryside with the moon as his only companion. His nocturnal meanderings take him by sleeping “rust-bellied robins,” through dew-drenched fields, to the swings, where he kicks his feet high and imagines “that the moon had just asked [him] to fly.” The little boy then dances across a bridge, where he “echoes in [the] glow” between the moon above and its reflected light from the water below. After accompanying the boy home, the moon thanks him by “sharing its sweet sleepy light.” Many readers will appreciate the fanciful illustrations of acclaimed illustrator Alison Jay. After painting these whimsical, folk art-inspired images, Ms. Jay applied a crackle varnish to give the work an “antique” look. Little readers will delight in the big fat moon with its little arms and legs and changeable expression. I particularly enjoyed the last two fact-filled pages of the book. The first page, entitled “The Mysterious Moon,” contains interesting information about the moon, including how different cultures view (and celebrate) the moon, and the different phases of the moon. In the second page, “The World at Night,” the author discusses nocturnal animals, insects, and flowers.   Review written by Maureen Barlow Pugh From the September 2008 issue of Culture Connection Newsletter

Available in English with: Albanian, Bengali, Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, Czech, Farsi, French, Haitian-Creole, Irish, Lithuanian, Panjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Somali, Turkish, Urdu, Welsh

Ages: 3-8  Paperback Dimensions: 8.4w x 10.6h inches