Moon Ride - Hardcover

Seymour Chwast is well-known internationally for his graphic designs and illustrations. He has written and/or illustrated more than thirty books for children. His Houghton Mifflin collaborations with Harriet Ziefert include Traffic Jam, Moonride, and Ode to Humpty Dumpty. He lives with his wife in New York City.

PreSchool-Grade 1-This bedtime adventure is only partially successful. Soft, endearing ink-and-colored-pencil drawings in the muted shades of nighttime describe a young boy's fantasy journey that begins with the proposition: "If the moon wakes you up in the middle of the night and offers you a ride, say yes." Full-page illustrations and a simple line of text for each page or double-page spread tell the story. Borne aloft by a kindly looking moon, the boy visits the ballpark, a burning building, a bakery, and other places that are full of activity when he is usually asleep. At the end of the journey, he is returned safely to his own bed, to awaken the next morning with memories of "sweet dreams." Sometimes visual clues alert readers to the next destination, but this is not always the case. The pictures best interpret the text in a whimsical encounter with a bridge. At other times the lack of a naturally flowing transition creates a static effect that is somewhat jarring, and that destroys the momentum of the journey. Also, the placement of the opening and ending illustrations is ill-conceived.
Corinne Camarata, Port Washington Public Library, NY
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