cover image Stop Following Me, Moon!

Stop Following Me, Moon!

Darren Farrell. Dial, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8037-4159-1

Readers who enjoyed the gentle absurdity of Farrell’s Thank You, Octopus should be equally charmed by this story of a bear who believes that the moon is after his stash of snacks. Early scenes find the bear snagging everything edible in sight. “Ohh la-la!” he remarks as he grabs a berry bush away from a squirrel, going on to steal a beehive, a fish off an angler’s line, and marshmallows (they appear to be Stay Puft) from a camping cooler. Delight turns to fear as the bear realizes that he can’t shake the creamy full moon hanging in the sky. The story’s trajectory recalls that of Mac Barnett’s and Patrick McDonnell’s The Skunk, right down to the silent pursuer, noir-ish mood (“Who sent you, Moon? Was it Turtle?” the bear shouts while tearing across a meadow), and turnabout ending that has the bear missing the moon after it ducks behind a cloud. Full of quirky details that reward close study, Farrell’s story has personality to spare, culminating in a midnight dance party—his break-dancing foxes are particularly delightful. Ages 3–5. Agent: Heather Alexander, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)