Cabbage Moon

by Jan Wahl

Princess Adelgitha and her dog Jennie must rescue the Cabbage Moon from the villainous Lorenzo Squink. Now Jan Wahl's enchanting fairy tale is available again, with new illustrations by Arden Johnson-Petrov that capture all the magic of those Cabbage Moon nights.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cabbage Moon is a favorite book from my childhood. The book was written in 1965 by Jan Wahl. Our copy is a first edition hardcover, illustrated by Adrienne Adams.

The story is about a princess named Adelgitha and her little dog Jennie. Jennie and the princess both know that the moon is a cabbage. They’re entranced by it and gaze up at the sky every night.



A creepy thief named Lorenzo Squink has plans to steal the cabbage moon for his next meal. He may be successful at first, but there’s no way Princess Adelgitha or Jennie are going to stand for it.

This book is strange, but the illustrations still captivate me and my five-year-old seems to love it just the same. Within the story you have a beautiful princess who walks around on stilts with her courageous little dog Jennie. How can you not fall in love with Jennie? When the miser steals the moon, Jennie isn’t even afraid and scrambles to take it back.
Everything unfolds within the dark of night, through nature, with beautiful gardens and trees all around them. There are little discoveries in the illustrations as you read along too.

This fairy tale may seem simple and even absurd, but sometimes it's fun for kids to imagine and make their own assumptions in a story. We think it’s beautiful and a magical book worth keeping.

This book is featured on Shabby Sunday @https://readrantrockandroll.com/2019/...

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the 1965 edition which is (charmingly) illustrated by Adrienne Adams, NOT Arden Johnson-Petrov.



I enjoyed this primarily for Adams' work, not Wahl's story which was a bit too random for me. Why is it even important that the moon looks like a cabbage? Why is the ditzy princess on stilts? At least there is a solid dog character to save the day, and the book.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inherited this sweet & quirky children's book when I was a teacher-in-training, during one of my internships with a mentor teacher. She invited me to choose 3 books from her shelves, to help start my own classroom library, and this is one of the titles that I chose. It was an older book, even then, but had a certain appeal beyond many newer children's books.

My copy is from the early 70s, and had a much cuter cover, with a tall and spindly Princess Adelgitha, and a detailed and startled-looking cabbage moon on the front. The story is funny, adventurous, a tiny bit feminist (Princess Adelgitha wants to be accepted for exactly who she is, and any princes who come her way had better be prepared for that), and is adorably illustrated. The 'bad guy' is naughty, but not evil, and Jenny the dog, loyal and resourceful, helps to save the day.

Although ostensibly a sort of fairytale, this story is unique, humorous, uplifting, and just the right combination of good-triumphs-over-bad-intentions for younger children (ages 4-7) to enjoy. My son loved it at those ages, and still remembers it fondly.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting plot line. Complicated characters. Courageous dog. The cabbage is a keeper.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

How bizarre, how bizarre!

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adrienne Adams could illustrate a port-a-potty handbook and I'd think it was gold. However, I can't get past the utter ridiculousness of this story. I mean, a moon made of cabbage, a princess who walks everywhere on stilts for funzies, and a man who steals the moon to make salad with paprika, nutmeg, AND sour cream? Can't tell if this is odd, sacrilegious, or both. It was just too completely weird for me. I liked the illustrations and the similes, but I couldn't follow the ludicrous plot.

[Danny Darko · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved to read this as a child