The Night the Moon Fell Asleep

Luminous artwork and a story of uncloying sweetness highlight this picture book by the author of Hello, This Is Your Penguin Speaking . To the consternation of the surrounding townspeople, the moon one night falls asleep and crashes to the ground. She is so weary of her cold and lonely life in the sky that she refuses to return. But after a series of admirers--a cowboy who gazes at her on the range, dogs who howl at her each evening--acclaim her nocturnal shimmering, the moon agrees to resume her rightful place, and all return home happy. The gentle scenario offers children the reassurance of a world where no glimmer, no matter how faint, goes unappreciated. Rigby's spare and soothing language makes the book an ideal bedtime choice. His delicate ink-line artwork, colored in glowing night hues of blue and violet, conjure up an entire cosmos--star-filled sky above, bustling village below--in detailed yet uncrowded drawings. And though his pictures convey a wistful twilight mood, they also exhibit a delightful cockeyed quality, with cartoon-like plump people, goggle-eyed dogs and whizzing ambulances all attempting to save the beloved lunar orb. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)