Grandfather and the Moon

Canadian writer Lapointe’s affectionate tale, winner of a Governor General’s award, is narrated by a young woman who introduces her grandfather, Adrien. He’s “a man of few words,” left defeated by the death of his wife, Lucille, “like his heart ran out of gas.” He gives his granddaughter a single piece of advice, “Make sure you go and get yourself a degree,” which she hears fondly: “I imagined that one day we’d go and get it together.” Feeling that Adrien will approve of her adventurous spirit, she enters the Who Will Go to the Moon contest and wins, but her short space journey doesn’t go well. No matter; at its end, her grandfather is waiting for her. Although Rogé’s (Haiti, My Country) mixed-media images have an offhand look, his portraits are full of heart: Adrien’s face is lined with care, the granddaughter’s is pensive, and the sense of place is strong. In Tanaka’s unobtrusive translation, Lapointe’s prose is lyrical, meditative, and observant, and, the love between girl and grandfather feels very real, amid the story’s fantastical twists. Ages 10–13. (May)