How to reach the moon

The quiet joy of a relationship with a beloved grandparent is the focus of this quiet tale from Argentinian author Schuff. In generous, soft-edged spreads, Sender (Why Are We Afraid?) shows Abuelo and his grandson Emilio illuminated by lantern light and surrounded by tall, deep green trees. At night, the grandfather tells stories whose titles ("The Adventures of the Mouse-Faced Bird") appear etched against the night sky. On the night of a full moon, Abuelo bakes in his kitchen, considering the moon's many faces: "Sometimes I look at the moon and see the face of your abuela." Inviting Emilio to meet the orb, he leads an adventure that is both true to his words and rooted in the tangible world. On the way home, Abuelo carries a tired Emilio on his shoulders, and the images that arise in Emilio's mind ("A little monkey riding an elephant. A tiny dwarf dreaming on top of a giant") show that a storytelling spirit has begun to surface in his grandson, too. Ages up to 8. (Apr.)

How can one visit the moon without leaving our Earth? This question, reminiscent of a riddle or folktale, is answered in a surprising and loving fashion in this Argentinian import. Emilio, on a visit from his city home to his abuelo, who lives in a deep forest, wonders about the dark side of the moon. Abuelo describes the moon's many faces, including "the face of the Earth, as if the moon were a mirror that the Earth looks into as it gets ready for bed." He offers Emilio the chance of a moon visit. The two then enter that most magical of childhood kingdoms, the world of being out after dark. Skinny, freckled grandchild and amply bearded, gnome-like grandfather leap off a cliff, hand in hand, into the silver circle of the moon as reflected in a deep lagoon. Pencil illustrations in the muted greens and grays of a nighttime forest portray a world that welcomes the storytelling imagination. Starlight, moonlight, lamplight, and firelight strange up the familiar. This well-orchestrated adventure is a childhood idyll, complete with apple cake, chocolate, just enough danger, and the ultimate luxury of being carried home asleep in a grandfather's arms. Sarah EllisJuly/August 2025 p.85 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.