Moon Man

Tomi Ungerer, illustrator of Jeff Brown's original Flat Stanley and winner of the prestigious 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award, paints the man in the moon as a benevolent, soft-bodied man who curls up in "his shimmering seat in space." Most evenings, he looks over longingly at the happy, dancing earth people, until one night when he can't resist catching the fiery tail of a comet and hitching a ride to Earth. Ungerer, ever satirical, reports the resulting frenzy of authorities upon hearing the crash landing: "The noise brought hundreds of people from a nearby town. Soldiers sped to defend the earth. Firemen hastened to quench the flaming light. The ice cream man hurried to set up his stand for the spectators." Of course, when the crowd discovers the unidentified fallen object, "statesmen, scientists, and generals panicked." Moon Man is thrown in jail, facing criminal investigation! How will he ever return to his lunar dwelling? Kids will love this quirky "there's no place like home" tale, and Ungerer's gentle, funny mocking of "important people" won't be lost on anyone. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson