The Mouse and the Moon

by Gabriel Alborozo, Gabriel Alborozo (Illustrator)

Overview

This is the story of a little mouse who lives in a dark and wild wood. He is all alone, except for his friend the moon. Each night the mouse tells the moon all of his news, his hopes, and his fears. But the moon never replies. So the little mouse ventures out to find his friend—and finds someone unexpected instead.

Gabriel Alborozo's beautiful illustrations shift from black and white to color, celebrating the dawn of a new day and the beginning of a new friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250136046
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	09/27/2016
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	45 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Gabriel Alborozo previously worked as a cartoonist for such magazines as Private Eye and Punch, but his first love is and has always been creating art for children. He is the author and illustrator of Good Night, Firefly, among other favorites. A citizen of both England and Australia, Gabriel is no stranger to making new friends. He lives by the sea in England.

Editorial Reviews

"The quiet text is a wonderful match for the pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations. The pen lines in the surrounding forest and pond are beautiful and further promote the sense of peace this offering presents. This title is perfect for one-on-one sharing at bedtime." —School Library Journal

"This pleasing tale unfolds in a simply written, amiable narrative and expressive illustrations." —Booklist

Praise for Good Night, Firefly:

“Alborozo's upbeat, cartoon-style is particularly suited to this story, in which nighttime fears are overcome through resourcefulness and positive thinking.” —Booklist

“Alborozo's illustrations...are both striking and adorable. This book's story is equally appealing, celebrating the magic of fireflies.” —The New York Times

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—A mouse sets off to find the moon in this calming picture book. The lonely rodent, living by himself in the woods, has only the moon for a friend. Unfortunately, while he talks to the orb every night, the moon never responds. One night, "the little mouse wonder[s] if maybe the moon [is] just too far away to hear him." He decides to go on an adventure and locate it. After a long journey that causes the mouse some anxiety, he finally discovers the moon in a pond. The two begin talking and spend the whole night sharing stories. Unbeknownst to the mouse, under the moon's reflection there is a small fish who cannot see the mouse and also believes he is talking to the moon. As daylight arrives, the moon starts to disappear and the fish and mouse finally meet. The quiet text is a wonderful match for the pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations. The pen lines in the surrounding forest and pond are beautiful and further promote the sense of peace this offering presents. VERDICT This title is perfect for one-on-one sharing at bedtime. For a quiet storytime involving the moon, consider pairing it with Kevin Henkes's Kitten's First Full Moon.—Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2016-06-22
A lonely "little mouse" whose only friend is the moon finds a kindred spirit.This gentle tale has a simple narrative arc. Tired of their one-sided conversations, the mouse goes in search of a place to get closer to his friend, the moon. Lost and alone in the "wild wood," he hears a voice coming from the moon's reflection in a pond. Under the water, a "tiny fish" also talks to the moon. Mouse and fish chat through the night, each thinking the other is the moon. When the sun rises, they see each other and realize they've each found a new friend. The text is straightforward and simple, with a great deal of repetition. It's set amid pictures that tell the story more effectively than the words do. Created with pen, ink, and watercolor and enhanced digitally, most images are black and white. Occasional gray lines add perspective. The characters are washed in pale shades of orange to brown, matching the endpapers. Color (the same pale orange and brown and some green) appears when they finally meet, in daylight. Alborozo's loose pen line neatly conveys the animals' emotions, the gnarled trees of the forest, and the vegetation around the fish's pond, but the rippled reflections in the "small, still pool" aren't very convincing. A quiet friendship story reminiscent of Kevin Henkes' Kitten's First Full Moon (2004) but not quite so satisfying. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews