When the Moon Comes

by Paul Harbridge, Matt James (Illustrator)

Overview

In this atmospheric story, a group of kids play hockey on a frozen lake by moonlight. At once nostalgic and timely, this is a gorgeous book that will speak to readers young and old.

The beaver flood has finally frozen—perfect ice, without a bump or a ripple. For the kids in town, it's Christmas in November. They wait, impatiently, for the right moment.

Finally, it arrives: the full moon.

They huff and puff through logging trails, farms, back roads and tamarack swamps, the powdery snow soaking pant legs and boots, till they see it—their perfect ice, waiting.

And the game is on.

When the moon Comes is steeped in tradition and nostalgia: for hockey, for childhood, for a simpler time. The beauty of the text is matched by the brilliant, rich illustrations that wonderfully capture the magic of a moonlit night in winter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101917770
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,000,717
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 12.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

PAUL HARBRIDGE is the author of the picture book Helena's Voyage and several published short stories. A graduate of the University of Toronto, he works as a speech-language pathologist with adults with developmental disabilities. He and his wife, Isabel, live in Etobicoke, Ontario, and are the proud parents of Daniel and Helena.

MATT JAMES is a painter, illustrator and musician. His books have won many prestigious awards, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the New Mexico Book Award and the Governor General's Award. Matt lives in Toronto with his family.

Editorial Reviews

WINNER of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award (2018)
A TD Children's Literature Award Finalist (2018)
A Governor General's Literary Award Finalist (2017)
A Quill & Quire Best Kids' Book of the Year, Booksellers' Pick (2017)
One of CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (2018)

"The illustrations, with their burnished waning light, and the clipped-short narrative combine to create an atmosphere that for anyone who has experienced it will feel pitch-perfect." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

"Harbridge uses language to create a space where magic happens, providing an opportunity for extraordinary things to occur in an ordinary world... An exquisite selection for older elementary readers." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

"[A] luminous story of friendship and full-moon magic… Artist Matt James creates a winter wonderland in breathtaking illustrations that have texture and a sense of mystery. This one-of-a-kind moonlit adventure is sure to capture young imaginations." —Bookpage

"4/4… Harbridge takes the reader on a little journey to the pond along with the children from the community… We enjoy the game along with the children and feel and see all that they do thanks to the descriptive writing… Matt James' rich illustrations strengthen the story as, through his use of colour, they help us to imagine the depth of the cold… Serve with a cup of hot chocolate… Highly recommended." —CM Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2017
Gr 2–5—As ducks fly south for the winter, kids wait impatiently for the full moon and the promise of ice on the beaver flood. When it finally arrives, they trek through the fresh-fallen snow to play hockey under the moonlight before clambering back to the warmth of their beds. This seemingly straightforward tale about a group of children playing hockey is grander than it first appears. Poignant figurative language makes their walk and first skate in the woods a quest, as they return home "like knights in armor, lances over our shoulders, hoods like helmets around our faces." Nature is alive, personified throughout as cold "biting noses and cheeks," "playful snow" with a watchful moon observing it all. Harbridge uses language to create a space where magic happens, providing an opportunity for extraordinary things to occur in an ordinary world. Acrylic paint and India ink illustrations in rich jewel tones evoke the frosty chill of deep winter nights and James's choices in changing perspective stimulates interest. At times, readers are in the middle of the action, racing across the ice, while in other scenes they are small and gazing up at the omnipresent moon. The moon always takes center stage in this original story about the benefits of waiting and the inherent beauty of simple things: friends, a game of hockey, and a moonlit night. VERDICT An exquisite selection for older elementary readers, this is a first purchase for school and public libraries.—Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

★ 2017-07-02
It is a ritual with many moving parts. So it is rare, and so it is magic.This story takes place in the north. Could be Canada, or Minnesota, or New York. All that matters is that it is north, where the cold bites, which is one of the prerequisites. "When you walk in the woods, the leaves shatter under your feet like glass." Bone-cracking cold keeps the wind down and closes the ice crystals tight on the beaver pond. A small, diverse company of kids is anxious to get on the ice. Things could go wrong—a sudden warming, rain, a wet snow—but even during the daytime, James keeps the artwork feeling cold with images that feel as though they have been carved from ice-covered scratchboard. Finally, the full moon rises. "We walk between ridges, through dense tamarack swamp…and up a high hill. In the distance we see the wide, snowy flat of the beaver flood," which they arrive at just as night falls. "Our wet pants freeze solid...we walk clanking like knights in armor." They make a fire, warm their toes, and get on with some deep-woods pond hockey on perfect ice. The illustrations, with their burnished waning light, and the clipped-short narrative combine to create an atmosphere that for anyone who has experienced it will feel pitch-perfect. The game of shinny, which never grows old. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews