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Moonpowder
Young Eli Trebuckle is the "fixer of all things fixable." He fixes the vacuum cleaner, the fan, and even the radio, hoping to catch some news of his father who is away at war. But there's one thing that Eli simply can't fix-his bad dreams. It's the same one over and over again: a mountain of junk, a prize just beyond his reach, and a fall.
One night as Eli stays up late to work on his most recent invention and escape another nightmare, a mysterious, luminous, and somewhat bumbling man by the name of Mr. Moon appears at his window. He knows just what the matter with Eli is and promises to help him, if he can fix one more thing.
And so Eli Trebuckle makes the journey to the broken Moonpowder factory. If he can get it up and running, he can ensure that the whole world will have sweet dreams! But can Eli face his greatest fears and meet the biggest challenge of his lifetime? With inspiring courage, determination, and a little faith, Eli proves that, happily, the answer is yes.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2008
2 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
John Rocco
70 books137 followersRocco studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is the author of four acclaimed books for children: Wolf! Wolf!, winner of the Borders Original Voices Award for best picture book; Moonpowder, part of the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators; Fu Finds the Way, and Blackout, a New York Times Best Book of the Year and winner of a 2012 Caldecott Honor. Rocco also illustrated Whoopi Goldberg‘s Alice and the covers for Rick Riordan‘s multi-million copy internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, and The Heroes of Olympus. Most recently, Rocco illustrated the fantasy fairy tale, The Flint Heart, written by Katherine Paterson and her husband, John.
me with samFor many years Rocco has been an art director in the entertainment industry, both in the US and abroad. At Dreamworks, Rocco was the pre-production art director on the top-grossing animated film Shrek. For Walt Disney Imagineering, he designed attractions at Disney’s Epcot and served as art director for DisneyQuest, a virtual reality theme park in Downtown Disney. Rocco has worked with computer graphics pioneer Robert Abel, the creator of some of the first CGI commercials and special effects, and contributed to several museum projects including Newseum in Washington D.C. and Paul Allen‘s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
Rocco lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Aileen and their daughter, Alaya.
me with samFor many years Rocco has been an art director in the entertainment industry, both in the US and abroad. At Dreamworks, Rocco was the pre-production art director on the top-grossing animated film Shrek. For Walt Disney Imagineering, he designed attractions at Disney’s Epcot and served as art director for DisneyQuest, a virtual reality theme park in Downtown Disney. Rocco has worked with computer graphics pioneer Robert Abel, the creator of some of the first CGI commercials and special effects, and contributed to several museum projects including Newseum in Washington D.C. and Paul Allen‘s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
Rocco lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Aileen and their daughter, Alaya.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 11, 2015
We recently read Blackout by John Rocco and saw this book recommended in a review, so we just had to check it out at our local library.
This story is so fantastic - the artwork is amazing and the story is creative, inspiring, and heartwarming. Eli can fix anything mechanical, but he can't fix his nightmares. This tale shows how he faces his fears.
I love that there's an underlying, unwritten story that shows that his father is in the military (the Army Air Corps), fighting in WWII. The ending is very sweet and this book is perfect for reading at bedtime.
This book reminds me of a cross between Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen and Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
This story is so fantastic - the artwork is amazing and the story is creative, inspiring, and heartwarming. Eli can fix anything mechanical, but he can't fix his nightmares. This tale shows how he faces his fears.
I love that there's an underlying, unwritten story that shows that his father is in the military (the Army Air Corps), fighting in WWII. The ending is very sweet and this book is perfect for reading at bedtime.
This book reminds me of a cross between Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen and Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
October 22, 2009
Eli Treebuckle likes to fix things, and he's good at it, too. The one thing he isn't so good at is having sweet dreams. He has been having the same nightmare for months- climbing a huge pile of junk and then falling. Since he can't go to sleep, he decides to fix things, and that is when Mr. Moon comes and asks Eli for his help. The Moonpowder Factory has broken down and nobody's getting enough Moonpowder, which helps everyone have sweet dreams. Mr. Moon takes Eli to the Moonpowder Factory in an invention that Eli designed. Inside the factory, Giz, the gizbot, and many other robots are cranking valves, but none of them can figure out what's wrong. Eli takes a look at the Moonpwder manual, checks everything and realizes that the Dream Tank is empty. Since it is absolutely necessary to have dreams in the Dream Tank, they have no other choice but to have Eli go into Mother Nature's closet to get the Emergency Dream kit. (Mr. Moon and Giz aren't allowed in after a snowstorm catastrophe.) Once in the closet, Eli realizes that this is just like his nightmare and doesn't want to climb the pile to search for the kit, but since no one else can, he has to. Just as he is about the reach the kit, he falls. He is alright, though, and he has the kit. Mr. Moon wants Eli to have a sweet dream, but when they open the kit, it is empty. Eli is too tired to care and falls asleep. And he has the sweetest dream ever! He wakes up in his own room and knows that his dream has fixed the Moonpowder Factory.
John Rocco's low fantasy picture book is beautifully illustrated with deep, rich colors. The reader learns much about the setting from the illustrations and little from the text. From the old baseball glove and radio to the type of vacuum and pictures on the wall, you can tell the story takes place in the early to mid 1900s. There is also a side story of Eli's father shown mostly through pictures (which I didn't include in my review above). On the title page, one illustration shows an Air Force pilot up in a B-29 looking at a picture of his wife and son. On the dedication page, Eli's tool box is opened to reveal a picture of his dad in uniform, a war article and an advertisement for aviator goggles- the ones Eli wears throughout the story. After that you only see his father in a picture of the three of them on the mantle until the end of the story when he finally comes home from the war. This side story is very moving, and you realize there is a reason he's been having bad dreams about falling from way up high. The book's theme is about facing your fears. Once Eli faces his fears about his nightmare, it no longer has control over him. Instead of falling, he dreams about flying. This book allows for many discussion points, including fears, facing your fears and loved ones at war. Younger students will enjoy listening to this and looking at the pictures while older students will want to read and reread it to catch things they missed the first time, like I did. Grades K-3
John Rocco's low fantasy picture book is beautifully illustrated with deep, rich colors. The reader learns much about the setting from the illustrations and little from the text. From the old baseball glove and radio to the type of vacuum and pictures on the wall, you can tell the story takes place in the early to mid 1900s. There is also a side story of Eli's father shown mostly through pictures (which I didn't include in my review above). On the title page, one illustration shows an Air Force pilot up in a B-29 looking at a picture of his wife and son. On the dedication page, Eli's tool box is opened to reveal a picture of his dad in uniform, a war article and an advertisement for aviator goggles- the ones Eli wears throughout the story. After that you only see his father in a picture of the three of them on the mantle until the end of the story when he finally comes home from the war. This side story is very moving, and you realize there is a reason he's been having bad dreams about falling from way up high. The book's theme is about facing your fears. Once Eli faces his fears about his nightmare, it no longer has control over him. Instead of falling, he dreams about flying. This book allows for many discussion points, including fears, facing your fears and loved ones at war. Younger students will enjoy listening to this and looking at the pictures while older students will want to read and reread it to catch things they missed the first time, like I did. Grades K-3
November 8, 2021
Moonpowder is written and illustrated by John Rocco. The story is about Eli, a young child whose dad is a soldier away from home. Eli feels like he has to fix everything around the house and be the man while his dad is away. Eli is having nightmares. He takes a trip to space in a ship of his own making. He fixes a machine so that people can sleep and have good dreams again. When he wakes up at home, his dad has just returned. Eli realizes that some things just fix themselves. The illustrations are complex and detailed. The color scheme is a bit frantic in the dream sequence, and simple in the frames that take place in the real world at home.
April 21, 2011
"The illustrations are full of wonder. They create the right balance of detail to enrich the story without overwhelming the viewer to distraction. Another lovely aspect is how the illustrations carry the greater weight of an important facet of the story."
[...]
"I really appreciate the graphic novel style aspect to the book. I am sure young children will be charmed by the illustrations, as well as the story, but Rocco’s choice puts Moonpowder on the shelves of the upper ages. His decision also reminds the reader to begin with the title page. The story begins there in a quiet collection of three slender panels."
[...]
"I could also appreciate, after reading the author’s comments, that John Rocco takes his craft seriously and is seeking every nuance to better his work, looking at the layers."
[...]
"The heart Rocco mentions is driven home in that last pages. I adore the movement of the boy as he runs for the door, setting the lamp rocking on the table; the movement of the mother, throwing aside her apron, eyes on the window, running forward. There is similar movement throughout. The quietly composed home is alive with the kind of disturbances and absences of “decorum” that captures the eye and brings mind to consider."
"The story is sweet. Its so relatively small in composition, but massive in all it would encompass. As long as there is war (or the memory of), Moonpowder will have a place on the shelves as children seek equilibrium, a peaceful nights sleep, and a sense that they are not completely helpless. And even though they can’t fix everything, it might just work out anyway. In a word Moonpowder is about Hope. Sweet dreams are about possibility, and Eli’s nightmares breathe helplessness, loss, and failure–hoplessness. Moonpowder is all about firing the imagination and creating a hopeful future, whether in the dreaming or the waking."
L @ Omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
[...]
"I really appreciate the graphic novel style aspect to the book. I am sure young children will be charmed by the illustrations, as well as the story, but Rocco’s choice puts Moonpowder on the shelves of the upper ages. His decision also reminds the reader to begin with the title page. The story begins there in a quiet collection of three slender panels."
[...]
"I could also appreciate, after reading the author’s comments, that John Rocco takes his craft seriously and is seeking every nuance to better his work, looking at the layers."
[...]
"The heart Rocco mentions is driven home in that last pages. I adore the movement of the boy as he runs for the door, setting the lamp rocking on the table; the movement of the mother, throwing aside her apron, eyes on the window, running forward. There is similar movement throughout. The quietly composed home is alive with the kind of disturbances and absences of “decorum” that captures the eye and brings mind to consider."
"The story is sweet. Its so relatively small in composition, but massive in all it would encompass. As long as there is war (or the memory of), Moonpowder will have a place on the shelves as children seek equilibrium, a peaceful nights sleep, and a sense that they are not completely helpless. And even though they can’t fix everything, it might just work out anyway. In a word Moonpowder is about Hope. Sweet dreams are about possibility, and Eli’s nightmares breathe helplessness, loss, and failure–hoplessness. Moonpowder is all about firing the imagination and creating a hopeful future, whether in the dreaming or the waking."
L @ Omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
March 3, 2011
this is one of my son's favorite books. would have given it 5 stars but it is a wee bit long. love the details and the story...sooo delicious. we have had it for a few years and now my older son reads it to the younger. :) it is delicious!
August 14, 2020
Stunning illustrations. In my opinion, the text story got in the way of the illustrations. I think this would have been a stronger story if it had been told only in the pictures.
October 19, 2018
As I picked this book up at my local library and flipped through the pages, I knew immediately it was going home with me.
Moonpowder is a science fiction/fantasy text full of incredible and vivid imagery not only in the illustrations but in the text as well. Moonpowder takes us on an adventure with Mr. Moon and Eli Treebuckle, who hasn't slept a wink due to bad dreams, a kid every one can relate too. Readers are whisked away on an helio-rocket-copter to the Moonpowder factory where gizbots are frantically trying to produce enough sweet dreams for everyone in the world. Eli, known"fixer of all things fixable," is their only hope of fixing the Moonpowder factory machines.
This book is filled with many examples of voice, word choice, organization, and sentence fluency. I specifically enjoyed the author's word choice and felt this would make a great mentor text for a mini-lesson. The text is rich, full of synonyms for students to use, such as "tinkering" (instead of the overly used "messing with"), and vocabulary words such as "moxie." The descriptive words used throughout will encourage students to use the same descriptions in their writing. Children of all ages would enjoy this book. If using the text for mini-lessons, I would recommend 3rd grade or higher.
Moonpowder is a science fiction/fantasy text full of incredible and vivid imagery not only in the illustrations but in the text as well. Moonpowder takes us on an adventure with Mr. Moon and Eli Treebuckle, who hasn't slept a wink due to bad dreams, a kid every one can relate too. Readers are whisked away on an helio-rocket-copter to the Moonpowder factory where gizbots are frantically trying to produce enough sweet dreams for everyone in the world. Eli, known"fixer of all things fixable," is their only hope of fixing the Moonpowder factory machines.
This book is filled with many examples of voice, word choice, organization, and sentence fluency. I specifically enjoyed the author's word choice and felt this would make a great mentor text for a mini-lesson. The text is rich, full of synonyms for students to use, such as "tinkering" (instead of the overly used "messing with"), and vocabulary words such as "moxie." The descriptive words used throughout will encourage students to use the same descriptions in their writing. Children of all ages would enjoy this book. If using the text for mini-lessons, I would recommend 3rd grade or higher.
July 19, 2017
I picked this one up on a whim. It's like Steampunk for kids! Love! The illustrations are gorgeous, detailed but not overly so, and the story is a clever one. I very much appreciated the message at the end, for even someone who can fix all things fixable can't fix some things. Yes, sometimes we have to just let things fix themselves. Overall, I very much enjoyed it and would happily read more by the same author.
September 18, 2017
Steampunk setting for a boy who fixes things. He's afraid to sleep because of recurrent nightmares. After fixing the moonpowder factory, he has a sweet dream that is a lead-in to good things in the daytime -- his dad comes home!
Maybe moonpowder could be used to help kids who are stuck in a cycle of bad dreams?
Maybe moonpowder could be used to help kids who are stuck in a cycle of bad dreams?
March 7, 2018
Eli Treebuckle, the fixer of all things fixable, is summoned by Mr. Moon to fix the sweet dreams machine that produces moon powder to prevent nightmares. Will Eli fix the machine? Will the nightmares cease to include the ones that he has been having, and keeping him awake at night? Only time will tell, if Eli can fix the machine successfully.
June 23, 2018
Engrossing, imaginative artwork and a wonderful science fiction/fantasy story for young inventors/explorers/adventurers (ie, anyone young or young at heart). I loved it.
December 1, 2018
Moonpowder is a wonderful book about the man in the moon seeking a little fixer for help. He needs more Moonpowder and only the little boy can make that happen.
April 21, 2021
This is a longer picture book (text-wise) but I love the illustrations and the quirky moonpowder factory that needs to be saved by a young inventive boy!
May 8, 2021
Adventures to the moon when the moon needs help fixing his moonpowder machine.
September 12, 2013
I reviewed Moonpowder by John Rocco as one of my Book Soak choices. As one of my book soak books I would put it was the one I really liked. What caught my eye was the beautiful artwork on the front of the book however, what kept my attention was the wonderful story. This book is about Eli Treebuckle who is the fixer of all things. He has been having problems sleeping and then Mr. Moon comes and visits him and asks for his help. They take a journey and on their adventure Eli has to face his fears and conquer them. The story ends with him saving the day and finally being able to get a good night sleep.
I thought the artwork throughout this story was great. The illustrations really brought the story to life and added to the enjoyment of the story. The colors of this book were different than the many other children’s books I have encountered recently. The hues on the colors were more on the vibrant side and gave a great richness to the pages.
I thought the story was cute. It was relatable because who wouldn’t think it is great to see your inventions come to life. The story was one that would engulf a person and bring them into its world. I was completing blown away by the artwork and color scenes of the book. I thought the characters were designed well and the story was great for any reader.
I think this book would be good for the classroom as a good book to look at the different parts of a story. It would be a good for working together as a class to point out the different parts of the story. Another good lesson that could be used with this book would be a prediction unit. This would be a fun book to get the students making predictions about what will happen and identifying the context clues that lead them to their predictions.
I thought the artwork throughout this story was great. The illustrations really brought the story to life and added to the enjoyment of the story. The colors of this book were different than the many other children’s books I have encountered recently. The hues on the colors were more on the vibrant side and gave a great richness to the pages.
I thought the story was cute. It was relatable because who wouldn’t think it is great to see your inventions come to life. The story was one that would engulf a person and bring them into its world. I was completing blown away by the artwork and color scenes of the book. I thought the characters were designed well and the story was great for any reader.
I think this book would be good for the classroom as a good book to look at the different parts of a story. It would be a good for working together as a class to point out the different parts of the story. Another good lesson that could be used with this book would be a prediction unit. This would be a fun book to get the students making predictions about what will happen and identifying the context clues that lead them to their predictions.
Read
December 6, 2012Rocco, John. (2008). Moonpowder. New York: Hyperion. Unpaginated. ISBN 978-1-4231-0011-5 (Hardcover); $15.99
One of my favorite picture books of last year is Moonpowder. In this book we have a decidedly different look at the moon. When I look at this book, Mr. Moon brings to mind old W.C. Fields movies! In this book Eli is called upon to bring his technological savvy to fix the moonpowder factory. People are not able to dream because the moon is not able to produce its dream powder. Eli must fix this before people begin having nonstop nightmares. Eli has been having nightmares, so he knows first hand the value of fixing the factory. In a book that throws in glimpses of steampunk (a fantasy/science fiction subgenre that likes to show the guts of how things work), Rocco has created one of my favorite picture book images. I just love the picture in which Mr. Moon hands Eli the book through his window.
One of my favorite picture books of last year is Moonpowder. In this book we have a decidedly different look at the moon. When I look at this book, Mr. Moon brings to mind old W.C. Fields movies! In this book Eli is called upon to bring his technological savvy to fix the moonpowder factory. People are not able to dream because the moon is not able to produce its dream powder. Eli must fix this before people begin having nonstop nightmares. Eli has been having nightmares, so he knows first hand the value of fixing the factory. In a book that throws in glimpses of steampunk (a fantasy/science fiction subgenre that likes to show the guts of how things work), Rocco has created one of my favorite picture book images. I just love the picture in which Mr. Moon hands Eli the book through his window.
July 18, 2013
This book was good book, but it would only appeal to children with a certain interest. The author used the craft of beginnings and endings in this book. The way the book began made me feel like it was a movie. I'm used to the beginning of children's books beginning with the main character already in the meat of the plot. This book had a slow beginning that introduced the characters. It built up to the plot of the story. I don't think there is nothing wrong with that. The author did a good job of it because it offered some background information about the main character. The strategy I would take from this writing is that although there's not a wrong way of opening or closing a story you should be very mindful of how you open the story because it sets the tone for the whole rest of the book.
January 15, 2012
This was such an adorable little book. It's a story about Eli, a fixer. He lies down to sleep one night and finds he is not able to have sweet dreams. That's when Mr. Moon comes to ask for his help. It seems there is a problem with the Moonpowder factory and Eli's skills at fixing the fixable are needed if he and other children ever want to have sweet dreams again.
My son and I really enjoyed this story. Eli gets a chance to help and conquer a fear of his own. It's really a story of hope and bravery.. and Eli is really the embodiment of all those things. The book is dedicated to children of soldiers but any child can benefit from the message this story delivers. I can't wait to get my hands on Mr. Rocco's other books.
My son and I really enjoyed this story. Eli gets a chance to help and conquer a fear of his own. It's really a story of hope and bravery.. and Eli is really the embodiment of all those things. The book is dedicated to children of soldiers but any child can benefit from the message this story delivers. I can't wait to get my hands on Mr. Rocco's other books.
November 30, 2011
I recently read Blackout and loved Rocco's book so much I researched what else he has written and illustrated. This book was absolutely wonderful! The illustrations are fascinating and the story is very creative. As I was reading this, I couldn't help but feel lost in the illustrations and part of the action. Also, reading the dedication gives it whole new and different perspective. It's perfect for all readers, especially those with adventurous imaginations, and it's hard to put down! I will definitely be adding this to my personal library.
June 27, 2013
John Rocco is a very interesting and entertaining speaker. He was at the Children's Literature Conference on 6/25/13. It was very interesting to hear the process of writing and illustrating books and his journey to get where he is today.
This book was about a little boy who could fix anything except his own bad dreams. He dreams of a factory that is out of moonpowder which made people have sweet dreams. When he wakes up, his dad is home from war (I assume) and everything is ok. The art work was wonderful!
This would be a great read aloud book.
This book was about a little boy who could fix anything except his own bad dreams. He dreams of a factory that is out of moonpowder which made people have sweet dreams. When he wakes up, his dad is home from war (I assume) and everything is ok. The art work was wonderful!
This would be a great read aloud book.
April 22, 2012
A gorgeous vaguely steampunk bedtime story: Eli, who is an excellent "fixer", is taken to the fantastical Moonpowder Factory, where Mr. Moon asks him to repair the machine that allows young people to have sweet dreams. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful and the story moves at a fast, exciting pace that kept me hooked, even as a adult, through the entire story. I will be on the lookout for more books from this author.
January 8, 2009
At first I wanted to have an attitude about this book, but I really liked it. It's about a little boy named Eli who can fix anything, but he can't fix the nightmare he keeps having. He ends up in a fantasy world - or is it just lucid dreaming? - with a resolution I found satisfying and sweet. The illustrations are wonderful.
October 7, 2011
Well, I love this man's illustrations so it's hard not to just love every book he's created. Wonderful main character is acting as man of the house for his mom by fixing her appliances as they breakdown while dad's away at war. Unfortunately, he's haunted by bad dreams. Lots of cogs, gears, and wrenches! Great for children who like to "help" with the fixing, especially.
October 24, 2011
This is my mystery book. It showed up on my desk one morning a few weeks after school started. No one ever said why or who it was from or asked me about it at all. This book has absolutely incredible illustrations. I love, love, love them!! The story is a lot of fun, but the illustrations are amazing.
January 22, 2016
Loved this story of a child inventor who fixes things around the house. To get rid of his nightmares, he sets off on a quest to fix the Moonpowder factory. The steampunk touches in the illustrations prompted me to pick this up at the library and I'm so glad I did! I'll be looking for more of John Rocco's work - his writing and illustrations are wonderful.
July 1, 2008
This book is absolutely beautiful with its amazing illustrations and story. It is a little advanced for my two year old but I know that one day she is going to love the beauty of this book. Definitely adding it to my collection.
May 27, 2009
First of all, I love the dedication to this book. The illustrations are adorable and vibrant--I could spend hours looking at them. The story is wonderful. This is a definite must-read, quite possible a must-own.
April 24, 2013
So sweet and so fun. Recommend maybe for military kids, or kids with parents who are gone a lot, or kids prone to worrying. Best for ages 4 and up. I had to simplify the narrative for my 2 1/2 year old. LOVE the art.
January 13, 2016
Eli knows how to fix everything, except his nightmare. One night, Mr. Moon comes along and requests his help to fix the Moonpowder Factory. I love the illustrations and that this book is dedicated to the children of soldiers. A very sweet book.
June 15, 2008
This was a wonderful book about a little boy who has a nightmare and he works through it with the help of the moon.
This is also dedicated to soldiers and their families...I absolulty loved it.
This is also dedicated to soldiers and their families...I absolulty loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews