Blue Moon Mountain

by Geraldine McCaughrean, Nicki Palin (Illustrations), Tomislav Tomić (Illustrations)

One bright starlit night, Joy wakes to see a glittering path of moonlight stretching off into the distance. Curious, she slips out of bed and follows the path till she reaches Blue Moon Mountain. There she discovers a strange unearthly place inhabited by all the magical creatures of myth and legend: mermaids and fairies, Cyclops and goblins — even Joy’s beloved unicorns. What will Joy do amidst all these incredible creatures?

Highlighted by wonderfully detailed illustrations from two acclaimed illustrators, this lyrical adventure is a lovely introduction to mythology and a treat for readers young and old.

Genres: Fantasy, Unicorns, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Moon Mountain is a gorgeously detailed book in illustration and story line.

'Once in a blue moon' a pathway opens up to Blue Moon Mountain. Joy, who was born on a blue moon night, follows the path in search of a unicorn. At Blue Moon Mountain she meets the sad, misunderstood creatures and characters of fairy tales and myths. She finds beauty in all of them, but misses seeing the unicorn.

I loved Blue Moon Mountain. Some of the creatures will be new to the 6-7 years olds, the age group suggested for this book, but there are explanations of them with interesting pen and ink drawings.

5 stars. I am buying this book for Christmas giving.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was weird, y'all. There's not really a nice way to say it. The illustrations were lovely, until you looked close and realized they were actually as creepy as the weird bandit dude that used to be in all the 90s burger chain commercials. The text was flowery and purple-y and not at all what you'd expect for a before-bedtime read to kiddos. Even the little girl's expression as she hung out with cockatrices and Gorgons was a bit on the dreadful side, with eyes as glazed and emotionless as customer service window workers at an Arby's drive-thru circa midnight. Definitely going in the giveaway pile.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story may charm little kids (mostly girls, I think), although it’s too arbitrary and shallow to give much satisfaction as the reader grows older. The artwork is very beautiful, although also seeming to lack enough shade and depth. This is a story in which every fearsome monster or creature from fairy tales is in fact gentle and domestic, with not a hint of real wildness or danger about them. A harmless story, perhaps, but also tame to the point of dullness.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lush, whimsical book about finding the good in everyone. The illustrations are wonderful, even if they don’t always match the text.

[Kathy Roderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely, beautifully illustrated book which tells of a magical land, the "Blue Moon Mountain", where various mythological beasts and monsters live. Joy is at first in pursuit of a unicorn, but meets and befriends various creatures, most of whom have had bad reputations in storybooks. She tells each one they are lovely and fine, thus improving their self-images. This book would make a wonderful companion to a study of mythology or creatures of fantasy. In the back of the book, there is an annotated listing of all the creatures mentioned in the book.

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the mythical creatures are there, including unicorns. Pretty pictures.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book four stars but couldn't. I felt that the story was jumbled with too many "lessons". Still I love the lyrical description of what happens "once in a blue moon".

[Highlyeccentric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous and whimsical and I <3 it lots.

[Guen · Rating 2 out of 5]

beautiful illustrations