BRINGING DOWN THE MOON

"Hot diggety!" exclaims plump Mole when he sees the full moon for what is apparently the first time. And indeed, the moon is at its most fetching, glowing in the cobalt-blue night sky "like a bright silver coin." Mole spends the balance of the book engaged in sweetly comic attempts to pry the moon out of the sky. His woodland pals try to warn him off the plan, each one pointing out, "It's not as close as it looks." But that doesn't stop Mole from trying to leap for it, poke it, knock it down with acorns or simply grab it from a high tree branch. Finally, it dawns on him: the moon's beauty lies in the fact that everyone can enjoy it (and besides, Mole now notes sagely, "It's NOT as close as it looks!"). Author and artist seem ideally paired for this well-traveled but sweet tale. In Emmett's unadorned, gentle prose, Mole never seems the least bit avaricious—he's just genuinely enchanted by the moon's ethereal beauty. As was true in her Down in the Woods at Sleepytime, Cabban's creatures radiate genuine affection for one another. Keeping the detailing in her settings to a minimum—there's just enough to provide a proper stage for Mole's pratfalls—Cabban lets the luminescence of the sky and moon hold center stage. It's easy to see why Mole is so thoroughly captivated. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)