Moon River

by Johnny Mercer, Tim Hopgood (Illustrator), Henry Mancini

Overview

Two drifters, off to see the world / There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend / My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, and me

Follow a girl (accompanied by her teddy bear—"two drifters") as she dreams about the wide and wonderful world. Cozy scenes of pajamas and bedtime make this a perfect story to share at the end of the night.

Godwin Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250159007
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	542,215
Product dimensions:	11.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tim Hopgood is the illustrator of What a Wonderful World, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Hooray for Hoppy!, Wow! Said the Owl, and many other popular picture books. He lives with his family in North Yorkshire, England.

Editorial Reviews

09/03/2018
In this dreamy addition to his growing oeuvre of picture books featuring illustrated songs, Hopgood (Singing in the Rain) borrows the title’s classic 1960s tune as his inspiration and text. Taking a semi-literal approach, Hopgood depicts a wispy river snaking from a sleeping girl up to the moon. Awakening, she heads out on horseback (her rocking horse come to life) to meet a guitar-toting “huckleberry friend” (teddy bear), and the “two drifters” set off along the river to see the world. Joining a procession of children and animals, they venture past many of the world’s major sights—the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and beyond—until Moon River eventually leads them back home, with only a star as evidence of their nighttime adventure. Working with a backdrop of blues, purples, and blacks, Hopgood reprises the feel-good style of his other books to create a soothing world full of music notes, rainbows, and friendly faces. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A classic song set to modern illustrations for a delightful reminder that friends are with us even in our dreams." —Kirkus Reviews on Moon River

"Whether sung or read aloud, this carefully put together bedtime book should appeal to children and hopefully ease them into slumber." —School Library Journal on Moon River

"Hopgood reprises the feel-good style of his other books to create a soothing world full of music notes, rainbows, and friendly faces." —Publishers Weekly on Moon River

From the Publisher

2018-08-14

Born from memories of a Southern, rural childhood, these classic lyrics evoke simplicity, dreams, and a shimmering journey with a "huckleberry friend."

Hopgood's ethereal, mixed-media illustrations depict a brown-skinned, dark-haired girl who wakes from sleep with her stuffed bear and follows a shining, rippling path—a Moon River—out her window, accompanied by her rocking horse. Once outside, the horse and bear come to life, and the three friends embark on a journey to dreamland, together with other children and their animated stuffies. They travel across a sparkling lake, past a snowy mountaintop, and through the end of the rainbow, the colorful, watery reflection of which ripples across the page. This remarkable journey is the crux of the story, full of tranquility and camaraderie, as the friends travel deeper into the night, surrounded by pale white clouds and floating musical notes that recall the lyrical origin of the story. In the vein of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, buildings from around the world appear in ghostly outlines against dark backgrounds, signaling to readers how far the characters have journeyed from home. When at last the friends return home, the horse and bear become toys once again, but this dreamlike odyssey will be waiting for tomorrow's bedtime.

A classic song set to modern illustrations for a delightful reminder that friends are with us even in our dreams. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews