On My Love of Moongame

The moon is probably referenced more often in children's picture books than astronomy textbooks. Off the top of my head I can think of at least a half dozen lines from books sitting right here on one of our bookshelves.

"Chicka chicka boom boom; look there's a full moon" - Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
"While the moon sailed high in the dark night sky" - The Big Red Barn
"Moon in my bed and dreams in my head. That's what I'll wear tonight" - Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
"Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight." Harold and the Purple Crayon
"In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf." - The Very Hungry Caterpillar
"I love you right up to the moon and back." - Guess How Much I Love You
"Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon." - Goodnight Moon

 While I love these "moon" books, and most of them are probably well known to you, not one of them has earned a spot on the coveted bookshelf above Elinor's bed. That honor goes to Moongame by Frank Asch. First published in 1984, the year of my birth, this is a book I fondly remember from my own childhood.  Moongame is actually one in a series of books about a naive little bear who wants so badly to interact with the moon. Other (more popular) books in the series include Happy Birthday, Moon, Moon Bear, and Mooncake. But for some reason, we love Moongame most of all.

The plot is simple enough. Bear decides to play a game of hide-and-seek with the moon, and the action of the story is moved forward as Bear tries to uncover moon's hiding spot. He searches behind rocks and in house windows, not realizing that a passing cloud has merely covered the moon for the time being. Both Asch's text and illustrations are simple and charming. The color palette he uses is actually quite beautiful. It's a book that just feels gentle and cozy which makes it a great bedtime read. It's also a book that ages well with your child. As a toddler, they identify and empathize with Bear, hoping he'll find moon at long last. As a preschooler, they are in on the joke and can giggle as Bear mistakes a big wedge of cheese or a large yellow balloon for the moon.

On My Love of Molly Lou Melon

Molly Lou Melon had a voice that sounded like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She didn’t mind. Her grandma had told her, “Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy.” …

So she did.

If reading that little excerpt hasn’t already stirred up in you a desire to own this book, I am sure something is very wrong with you.  My 2 year old daughter has seven precious picture books near her bed. They sit atop little wooden spice racks and every day I read her at least one of them (sometimes all of them).  Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon is her particular favorite, and I am so glad it is.  You see, picture books are a minefield. They are not as forgiving as chapter books.  Your child is going to request his or her favorite picture book over and over again, and most books simply can’t stand up to multiple readings.  One poor word choice on page 7 that you didn’t give a second thought to on the first read through is enough to make you want to track down every known copy to fuel an enormous bonfire on the 135^th reading. 

“Molly Lou Melon” is a gem.  Every word is perfectly chosen.  There are no wasted sentences.  And the story is so rich.  Molly Lou Melon is a little girl who, as we’ve already seen, lacks a beautiful singing voice (among other shortcomings) … but she doesn’t mind.  I love that. She just doesn’t mind, and all the anxieties and insecurities you might expect from a little girl who is impossibly short, clumsy, and buck-toothed to boot are simply not to be found because Molly is patterning her life after her grandma’s sage advice – to confidently be herself. 

And Ronald Durkin.  Can’t you just tell by that name that he’s arrogant and ill-mannered? My husband has actually described someone as a “real Ronald Durkin” and I cringed knowing exactly what he meant.  Well Ronald Durkin does his level best to make sure that Molly Lou Melon is put in her place, but to no avail.  In fact, by the book’s end, both my daughter and I rejoice as good triumphs over evil, and more than that, grace abounds for dear old Ronald. 

If the text of the story wasn’t enough, the art is perfect (which I didn’t realize until about the 35^th read through). Like Molly herself, the watercolor and pencil illustrations are a bit eccentric, but in a loveable way. One full page spread in particular shows Molly Lou Melon in all her glory, (but not to her advantage) as she shows off her buck-toothed smile. But that’s kind of the point. Molly is winsome and charming because she’s Molly, not because she has a perfect smile.  There is something new to see or appreciate each time I turn a page, a veritable feast for the eyes. 

You should own Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.  It may not be the Jesus Storybook Bible, but it has got its share of truth, goodness, and beauty.