How to Be on the Moon

by Viviane Schwarz, Viviane Schwarz (Illustrator)

Overview

In the follow-up to How to Find Gold, best friends Anna and Crocodile are going on another intrepid adventure — this time, to the moon.

It’s almost impossible to get to the moon. It’s out in space, which is dark and empty, and it’s very far away. If Anna and Crocodile are going to make it to the moon, they’ll need some special skills, like being able to do math and having a lot of patience. They’ll also need to build a rocket. Not to mention the sandwiches for the journey. Luckily, when Anna and Crocodile put their minds together, nothing can stand in their way. Full of the same cheerful charm that made How to Find Gold so endearing, Viviane Schwarz’s pitch-perfect text and wonderfully colorful illustrations launch this story off the page in a true celebration of curiosity and the magic of imaginative play.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536205459
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Viviane Schwarz is the author-illustrator of the acclaimed picture books There Are Cats in This Book and There Are No Cats in This Book, both of which were short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal, as well as Is There a Dog in This Book?, How to Find Gold, and the Tiny Cat books. She lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

The writing is childlike, sensitive, and often witty. The illustrations, created with pencils, crayons, and watercolors, become increasingly intricate and colorful as the imaginative adventure progresses...Given the predominance of boys in picture books featuring space travel, it’s refreshing to see Anna, with her brown skin, red dress, and can-do spirit, take the lead here. A fine companion volume to Schwarz’s How to Find Gold (2016).
—Booklist

The moon and Earth are rendered in intriguing textural and color combinations. The contrast between Anna's and Crocodile's personalities allows audiences of different inclinations a way into the story. The story is fun—and the artwork shines.
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

05/17/2019

PreS-Gr 1-Schwarz has brought back characters Anna and Crocodile, first introduced in How to Find Gold, as they plan to go to the moon. This almost impossible mission will require special skills. They must know math, but luckily Anna can count backwards from five. They must have patience, and luckily Crocodile is very patient. They need sandwiches and a rocket, and then they are off. Watercolor illustrations showcase brown-skinned Anna, bright green Crocodile, and a beautiful patchwork-colored rocket ship. Most text is featured on a solid white background making it easy to read and follow along. Fans of the first book will be excited to follow best friends Anna and Crocodile on another intrepid adventure and those who thrill to all things outer space will enjoy this book as a stand-alone. VERDICT The story expresses the importance of imaginative play and the colorful illustrations shine. Recommend for general purchase.-Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY

School Library Journal

2019-04-14
Adventurous Anna and cautious Crocodile take a trip to the moon and back to Earth.

Anna wants to go to the moon, but Crocodile warns, "It will be almost impossible." Undeterred, Anna responds, "I like that.…Let's go!" Crocodile finds a hold-up at every turn. They need "special skills," like math. Luckily, Anna can count backward from five. They need lots of patience. ("And now?" appears opposite "No" or "Still not" nine times in funny, eye-catching columns.) Anna figures Crocodile's patience can do for them both. Crocodile makes the sandwiches while Anna builds the rocket, and they blast off. They play a game in the no-gravity zone, and after a short nap, they land on the moon. From the moon, Anna decides that "Poor Earth" misses them, and they head back home. Watercolor illustrations show brown-skinned, puffy-black-haired Anna, green-skinned Crocodile, and their colorful, patchwork confection of a rocket against white space at home and against deep, dark, star-studded skies on their journey. The moon and Earth are rendered in intriguing textural and color combinations. The contrast between Anna's and Crocodile's personalities allows audiences of different inclinations a way into the story.

The story is fun—and the artwork shines. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews