Sam, Bangs & Moonshine

by Evaline Ness

Samantha (known as Sam) is a fisherman's daughter who dreams rich and lovely dreams--moonshine, her father says. But when her tall stories bring disaster to her friend Thomas and her cat Bangs, Sam learns to distinguish between moonshine and reality.

Sam, Bangs & Moonshine is the winner of the 1967 Caldecott Medal.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Cats, Friendship, Classics

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1966

About the author

Evaline Ness was an American commercial artist, illustrator, and author of children's books. As illustrator of picture books she was one of three Caldecott Medal runners-up each year 1964 to 1966 and she won the 1967 Medal for Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, which she also wrote. She illustrated more than thirty books for young readers and wrote several of her own. She is noted for using a great variety of artistic media and methods.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam is a girl who likes to live in her imagination. She can make up the wildest tales. Her friend Thomas believes every word she says. One day she sends Thomas looking for her baby kangaroo when a storm is blowing up and her cat Bangs goes out to help the boy. She feels much guilt when she realizes that her friend could have been hurt by her stories or Moonshine. Her tales got her friend in trouble. It all turns out all right in the end.

The art is a 3 color combo of Black, white and Gold. It also looks like some of it is done as charcoal drawings. They aren’t terrible, but I also don’t think they are that amazing either. I guess it’s about experimentation. I can’t see it being medal worthy. The story is also not my favorite, but it’s interesting. I didn’t feel like it had a very satisfying end to it.

My nephew, whether he knows it or not, related to Sam. They both love making up great stories. He liked the cat and he thought the story was pretty good. He gave this 3 stars. The niece was not so crazy about this book. There were sad things in the story. She didn’t much care for the book. She gave this 2 stars.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought both the writing and illustrations were good, but something about the story didn't really resonate for me. The author/adult characters seemed overly harsh about Sam's "reckless habit of lying." Pretending your doormat is a chariot pulled by dragons is not lying, it is pretending. Lying is conveying untruths to people, and no one in their right mind would believe the stuff Sam says. I know, I know, we are told Thomas believes it, but I didn't buy that. Even if he were young and naive enough to think she really had a baby kangaroo, he should have wised up after weeks of being sent on wild goose chases to find the kangaroo. And if he's so young or dumb he hasn't, he shouldn't be let to wander around all day unsupervised.

Sam doesn't seem to have any friends beside her cat. Her mother is dead. Obviously she is having trouble coping, and I would have liked to see her father at least show some concern for her and try to really talk to her instead of just telling her to "talk real and not moonshine." I felt badly for Sam, lonely and with everyone telling her to give up her imagination.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I just loved this book. It’s amazing to me that it was first published in 1966 (and my library copy was the original hardcover 1966 edition) yet I’d never heard of it until I saw my Goodreads’ friend Kathryn’s review.

I loved the illustrations (admittedly old-fashioned at this point), I loved the cat Bangs, I loved the girl Sam, and I especially loved this story. It’s a wonderful story, with suspense (it did scare me there for a minute, but it does have a happy ending) and pathos and humor, that shows the difference between lies that can be disastrous and the sharing of a fertile imagination better than any other story I remember reading. Sam learns in a hard lesson the difference between what’s real and what’s moonshine, and also when being imaginative can be wonderful and when it/lying can have horrible consequences.

I highly recommend this for children who have lost a parent or other loved one, and especially for those children prone to lying. And I recommend it for all children because it’s a terrific story. I love cats in books and Bangs is a remarkable character.

Oh, and it almost made me cry so the story/illustrations really touched my heart.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sam, Bangs & Moonshine" is one of those rare books that truly touched me and I definitely want a copy to add to my own library to share with my children, when I have them. This one the Caldecott Medal in 1967 and I think that the text is equally strong. I just loved the story from the beginning, "On a small island, near a large harbor, there once lived a fisherman's little daughter (named Samantha, but always called Sam), who had the reckless habit of lying." Wow, what!? That's just such a great teaser! ;-p Throughout the course of the story, aided by her adorable cat Bangs and a lie gone bad, Sam learns that there is a difference between a joyful imagination and a harmful falsehood. I just love everything about this book.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great books of my childhood. That carpet pulled by dragons is still there whenever I need it.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more gorgeous, in art, and theme, and characters, and execution of all, than the other times I've read it. Thank goodness for small town libraries that don't discard old books.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1967, Sam, Bangs & Moonshine is a lovely little picture-book that follows the story of fisherman's daughter Sam (Samantha), whose penchant for telling lies - or making "Moonshine" - leads her into trouble one stormy day. Constantly making up stories - about her mermaid mother (her real mother is dead), her chariot drawn by dragons (the everyday rug in her house) - Sam uses the world of make-believe to cope with a reality that isn't always easy to face. But when her stories about her baby kangaroo put her young neighbor Thomas - who believes them implicitly - and her beloved cat Bangs in real danger, Sam must confront the fact that sometimes "moonshine" can hurt as much as it helps...

Although I have read a number of folktale adaptations illustrated by Evaline Ness - Algernon D. Black's The Woman of the Wood: A Tale From Old Russia , Charles Scribner, Jr.'s The Devil's Bridge: A Legend - this was the first book both written and illustrated by Ness that I have encountered. I have to say, I am very impressed! I found the narrative to be a sensitive and moving portrait of a young girl's first encounter with true consequences (although thankfully, all ends happily!), and the illustrations - done in black and white, with color accents in brown and grayish-blue - perfectly suited to the tale, accentuating the emotion of each scene. The style here is somewhat vintage, and not something I would normally find outstanding, but somehow - here - it all works. This one definitely deserved the Caldecott, I think!

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and illustrations are fantastic however I had a really hard time believing the entire concept of the plot which is that Sam (Samantha) is a "reckless liar". Let me give you a little rundown of the story. Sam is the daughter of a fisherman who dreams rich and lovely dreams--moonshine, her father says. But when her tall stories bring disaster to her friend Thomas and her cat Bangs, Sam learns to distinguish between moonshine and reality.- Goodreads book description

There are other reviewers who agree with me about the concept and those reviewers weren't difficult to find so I know I'm not alone in thinking this about the plot. Sam says many tall tales, especially to her friend Thomas. Some of the things Sam says are that her mother is a mermaid, she has a pet lion, her pet cat, Bangs, can talk, and she has a carpet pulled by dragons. However, these aren't lies, they are part of an active imagination of a lonely little girl. In the story young Thomas believes these stories and the climax of the story, Thomas actually becomes endangered because of one of these stories but I still don't buy it because I have 3 kids and none of my children would actually believe any of these stories after the age of, at the maximum age 5, and at that age they shouldn't be outside unsupervised. Yes, maybe I am looking at this way to literal but I just had too much trouble with Sam getting in trouble for telling these stories, or moonshine, as her father calls it because what the reader actually finds out is Sam's mother has died and she is lonely, experiencing grief, and having a difficult time coping with her loss. Her father won't talk to her about her feelings of grief and the loss of her mother. Sam doesn't really have any friends her age so she uses her imagination to cope with her loss. Sam's father tells her to stop telling "moonshine" rather than sit down and actually talk to her about her feelings.

I haven't used this in the classroom but if I did I would be certain to discuss why Sam was telling these stories in the first place. I used to work in a Catholic school that had a small curriculum for character development and this would be a good book to use when learning about grief and how to cope or when there are national tragedies that now seem to happen on a regular schedule and are totally normalized. In my opinion, using the book with the exact themes that the author was aiming to convey are a little extreme for the age group that this book is aimed for. I flip flopped between a 3-4 star rating and decided on a 3 star rating because the themes and plot are hard lined and, like I said, not lying...she was using her imagination and being creative to cope with some difficult feelings. 3 stars.

[Sam Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha! I just bought this today from the used bookstore around the way. I have to admit being a bit partial to it because the main character has my name.

Sam has to learn the difference between REAL and MOONSHINE in this book, and it's a scary lesson. But the best part is that after she figures out the difference, she gets to KEEP a little bit of moonshine (like the rug that is a chariot drawn by dragons) and also, she knows what is real that the people around her think is moonshine and keeps that, too (even if she tells her daddy otherwise).

I remember this book really making me sad when I was little, even though it has a happy ending. I wasn't really any more clear on what a gerbil is than Sam is, either.

But Bangs was awesome. And Sam was awesome. And the baby kangaroo is awesome, too.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam (short for Samantha) is a fisherman’s daughter with an active imagination. She insists her mother is a mermaid, that her cat Bangs can speak, and that she had a chariot drawn by a dragon. She is so convincing that she often sends her friend Thomas in search of her pet baby kangaroo. Her father cautions her about her tall tales, but it takes a near disaster to wake her up to the dangers of spinning “moonshine.”

This is a lovely cautionary short story. Sam is a bright, inquisitive, and imaginative young girl. She learns a hard lesson, but she’ll be a better person for having learned it.

I really liked Ness’s drawings, for which she won the Caldecott Medal. The almost monochromatic palette helps give a sense of Sam’s loneliness and regret.

[Robert Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what to make of this book. Judging by the interesting title and cover art alone, I was hoping for a light-hearted adventure in the vain of Pippy Longstocking. Instead, the story is dark and unpleasant. The message the author seems to be pushing is the dangers of lying, or having too big an imagination. Seemed a bit heavy handed.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

My babysitter Harriet bought this for me when I was little. I still have the book. I think it is a beautiful book and it speaks to me personally. I also think the drawing and design still look quite good almost 50 years later.

[Marti (Letstalkaboutbooksbaybee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

1967 Caldecott winner

This one wasn’t bad! I was expecting something different when it said Moonshine tho, not gonna lie

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favorite!

[Elizabeth S · Rating 2 out of 5]

You may want to read this one yourself before reading it to your kids. Not that there is anything questionable, but so you know the direction the story is going. I mis-anticipated a number of events. For example, at the very beginning we are introduced to a girl, Sam, who has a problem with lying. So I thought, "Great! Maybe this will help my kids learn the value of telling the truth." Now, I was thinking the "Yes I made my bed" when I really didn't kind of lying. But the book is talking about telling very imaginative tall tales.

So then I was concerned whether the book would go too far one direction and say one needs to not have an imagination, or too far the other way and have the adults learn they need to immerse themselves in imagination. Answer? Turns out the book focuses on needing to know the difference between "real" and "moonshine." But I don't think my preschooler had any idea what "moonshine" was meant to be. If I'd read it in advance, I could probably have prepared her better.

Even re-reading the book, though, it just isn't my style. And the illustrations were not appealing to me either.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked that Evaline Ness changes her media and the style she's working in, for each of her picture-books of her's I've read so far, to suit the themes of the book. I haven't seen the same use of media by any other illustrator, though they might exist. Evaline Ness uses print, and then draws on top of it with pencil and ink, and her use of it is masterful and unique.

Browsing other reviews, I did see a few saying the content was too sad and horrific for younger children, but I would say now there are children's books being published today - that are a lot darker in content than Sam, Bangs & Moonshine. Such as Duck, Death and the Tulip, and a lot of children's books published in Scandinavia, Spain and other countries with darker subject matter than this book. I still think publishers are afraid to broach these subjects, but as long as the subject matter is communicated effectively to children - I think any subject can be communicated maturely and sensitively.

[LadyCalico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this children's book to contain both a beautiful story and marvelous illustrations. Sam is growing lonely and maladjusted after the loss of her mother and being left alone with her cat and her imagination as her fisherman father earns a living. Sam is behind in her developmental tasks but learns the hard way the difference between real and moonshine when her prevarication almost results in the death of her only two friends. Now Sam can begin to learn the difference between bad moonshine--lies--and good moonshine--fantasy and story-telling. I loved the author's insight that getting outside her own head and gaining contact with reality enables Sam to begin to see things from other people's point of view, which will now enable her to develop a conscience, compassion, and the desire to do kindness to others. One of the most wonderful children's books that I have ever read.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd little story about a lonely little girl who often scapes to a fantasy world and sometimes confuses reality with what her father calls, "MOONSHINE." While she is very imaginative, she is also a bit naughty with all the lying that she does. She gets a wake-up call in the form of an almost-tragedy with her little friend and her cat. It's a nice tale, with plainly drawn illustrations that show a lot of expression.

This book was selected as one of the books for the April 2015 - Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! How come I never read it when I was young? A timeless story of learning the difference between "real and moonshine" and between "good moonshine and bad moonshine." What is moonshine? Bangs the cat says, "Moonshine is flummadiddle. Real is the opposite." Moonshine is what Sam's father calls the stories that she makes up - some of which are a good use of imagination and some of which are not.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story put a lump in my throat. A little girl who tells lies (and honestly I can kind of understand how much she wants those stories to be true) gets someone else into a horrible dangerous situation. It's a hard lesson to learn. Thankfully things come out ok in the end. Really liked Sam and Bangs. Illustrations captured the emotions in the story perfectly.

[Emilysartwork · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book we read growing up- it is one of my favorites and is so simple in its message: lying is not the same as make-believe. It is such a wonderful story and the pictures have these wonderful muted hues but seem colorful at the same time. Must read to all children!

[Tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too depressing and severe for a children's book, IMO.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this Caldecott medalist lying on a table at the library yesterday and it triggered something in me; I knew that I had read it as a child, most likely from the public library that I would visit. As I read it today, the story slowly came back, including how Samantha (Sam) tells her cat Bangs and her neighbor Thomas fanciful stories about mermaids and pet kangaroos and dragons and chariots that her father calls "moonshine." After Thomas is endangered due to her tale-telling, Sam learns the lesson that it's important to tell the truth sometimes - there's both good moonshine and bad moonshine, and as her father tells her, "The important thing is to know the difference." This is a portrayal of a loving relationship, both between a father and a daughter and also with a beloved family pet who is an essential companion for a child with no mother or siblings. I loved finding it again, and the illustrations by author Evaline Ness are both beautiful and reminiscent of that 1960s-1970s era of picture book illustration. 4 1/2 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sam, Bangs & Moonshine is the 1967 Caldecott Award winner. I didn't like the illutstration, too messy for me. The story was ok. Sam's active imagination almost gets her friend killed!.

[Maggie Cook]

Title: Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine

Author: Evaline Ness

Illustrator: Evaline Ness

Type of Book (format and literary genre): Picture book/ Realistic Fiction

Awards the book has received (national): Caldecott Medal

Short original summary of the main plot, describe the content and themes of the book: Sam liked to make up stories. She told everyone her mother was a mermaid and that she had a pet lion and kangaroo. She also told everyone that her cat Bangs could talk. Her father told her to stop talking moonshine. There was a boy, Thomas, who would always come to her house and ask to see her kangaroo. Sam would always tell Thomas the kangaroo was out somewhere and she would send him to go look for it. One day Sam told Thomas the kangaroo was taking a nap down on the beach and sent him to go find it. She didn’t realize the big storm coming in off the ocean. Thomas and Bangs both got lost in the storm. Sam’s dad was able to save Thomas but Bangs was lost. The next day Bangs showed up at the window soaking wet and storm tossed. Sam’s dad gave Sam a gerbil that looked like a tiny baby kangaroo. Sam took the gerbil to Thomas and gave it to him and apologized.

Critique the book backed by one reason: This book really teaches a good lesson to children. Sam tells harmless lies like Bangs being able to talk. This lie didn’t hurt anyone and was fun for her to pretend that Bangs was her friend and was able to have conversations with her. But there’s lies that can hurt others too. Like lying to Thomas about the baby kangaroo. Thomas was so excited to see the kangaroo and almost died because Sam sent him out when a storm was coming in. So this book really teaches children the difference between big a little lies and the fact that there are consequences for lying that may hurt others.

Prompts or questions you could pose when reading the book aloud to children:
1. Does Sam really have a pet lion or kangaroo? Is her mom really a mermaid?
2. What does Sam’s dad mean when he tells her to stop talking moonshine? What does he mean by moonshine?
3. Why is Sam worried when it starts to rain? Where are Thomas and Bangs?
4. What lesson did Sam learn?
5. Could Bangs really talk to Sam?

Craft elements of the book that could be addressed in a reading or writing lesson: Have students write about a time they had to learn a lesson the hard way? This is also a good story to teach about cause and effect. Students can think about the cause and effect of Sam’s actions.

[Kelsey Wagner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about Sam, the daughter of a local fisherman. Because he mother has passed, she pretends that her cat, Bangs, can talk in order to pass the time. She also pretends her mom is a mermaid and that she has a pet kangaroo. The tales that she is telling are untrue, which her father calls “moonshine.” Sam tells these “moonshine” stories to a friend, and he goes off looking for her mermaid mother. Of course, she does not exist, but Thomas gets caught up in a storm during the journey. Sam’s father warned her that her moonshine tales would lead to trouble but she did not listen. Eventually, Thomas is found and Sam learns to tell the truth because lies lead to trouble. The illustrations in Sam, Bangs and Moonshine are not too exciting and have dull colors. Personally, I was not drawn into the story because the colors are very dark and gray. I did get a feel for the gloomy atmosphere that occurs by the sea though, which helped establish the mood. These pictures reinforce the text and depict what the setting looks like. It also won the 1967 Caldecott Medal.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

• 1967 Caldecott Winner •

This is a strange book. Basically Sam has an active imagination and she tells her little friend Thomas that there’s a baby kangaroo in a cave visiting her mermaid mother, and Thomas goes to see it. There’s a storm and Sam’s father has to go find Thomas, and he’s angry at Sam for being a liar. I felt really bad for Sam - there’s a difference between lying, pretending and using stories to cover up emotions you can’t deal with. Sam is a little girl whose mother is dead and her father seems to leave her alone a lot. So maybe she pretends a lot because she’s lashing out. (Or maybe I’m overthinking this.)

The art in this is ok - kind of old fashioned now. I can’t believe this won the Caldecott over One Wide River to Cross - I think that book is gorgeous and the story is straightforward.

Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children and I all loved this book. Sam is a young girl with quite an imagination. She tells everyone stories about her pet lion and baby kangaroo, her talking cat Bangs, and that her rug is a chariot pulled by a dragon. Her dad calls her stories Moonshine and wants her to differentiate between real and moonshine. When her friend is in danger due to one of her stories, Sam finally learns when it is okay to share moonshine and when she must tell what is real. The illustrations are wonderful. I can imagine using "moonshine" to remind my children to be honest if they are exaggerating ...or to encourage them to use their imagination as they tell stories. Delightful...very deserving of the Caldecott.

[Christine Kallner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really surprised me! I never quite know if some of these older Caldecotts will work for me. But I loved the writing and the art has grown on me as I re-read the story. I was tempted to scoff at an adult telling a little girl to not be so imaginative--but that's not really what is gong on here. The little girl has a wonderfully active imagination that in part helps her cope with the loss of her mother. But it goes too far when one of her stories sends her friend to a very dangerous place when a storm is coming. So rather than squashing imagination, she's just learning between "good moonshine" and "bad moonshine" and the book does that really masterfully -- and she quite clearly has not lost her imagination by the end.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a small island, near a large harbor, there once lived a fisherman's little daughter (named Samantha, but always called Sam), who had the reckless habit of lying.

Fabricating stories, that is - what her father calls moonshine. Sam's moonshine results in big trouble for her friend Thomas and her cat Bangs. I love, love Ness's illustrations. They're so inventive, so creative, so 1966. And the internet says she was married to Eliot Ness, whoa.