Boy Who Ate the Moon

by Christopher King

After eating the moon, a boy takes a strange journey.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantasy that is about a boy who ate the moon, beautifully illustrated.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

One late Autumn night the moon gets stuck in a crow's nest. The boy crawls out of his window and into the tree. Several animals warn him not to touch the moon, saying that some who do never return. Not heeding their advice he slides out to the end of the branch and gives the moon a push. He feels a shock and finds that his fingers are coated with moon sugar. When he puts his fingers in his mouth they taste like all of the sweet things the moon sees as it circles the world. Soon he is sitting in the crow's nest eating the moon. When he is finished, the west wind catches him and blows him away. At first he is startled, and then he realizes that he is the moon. He tumbles and rolls over the earth. Just as he despairs of returning home he discovers that he can control his movement. Using his arms he rolls, spins, somersaults, and whirls toward the horizon. Morning comes and the light of the sun makes the moonlight within him grow thin. A last gust of wind blows him into the branches of the tree outside his house. He knows that some do return if they can find out how.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is clever and whimsical. The language paints the pictures so beautifully that you wouldn't even need the illustrations if it wasn't a children's picture book. (although the illustrations are lovely as well)