Moonday

What do you do when the moon lowers itself into your backyard

When mornings are replaced by perpetual night,

and people sigh-sleep in their eyes.

What do you do when the tide comes in,

and all the neighborhood dogs won't stop howling

You take the moon for a ride.

Adam Rex creates a fantastic tale that is both imaginative and beautiful; one that blurs the line between dreams and reality.

“The moon follows a girl home, takes up residence in her yard and stays put-keeping the sun from rising and the town stuck in a drowsy stupor. Enchanting language and a jaw-dropping premise place readers under a similar somnolent spell. Gentle rhymes, recurring consonance and almost subliminal rhythms make murky, dreamy paintings vivid and the surreal story sleepily spectacular. Who wouldn't close their eyes and rock to these soothing lines, as startlingly brilliant as moonlight? "That was when the tide came in. / It trickled in to our backyard. The tide came in, smooth and thin, / and settled underneath our moon." Their moon, cratered, full and luminous, hovers low just off the back porch; the girl walks its circumference and asks from upside down, "What now?" When teachers nod off and punk bands sing lullabies, the moon's family decides to drive back up the mountain, where they first picked up their round friend, in the hope it will follow. Children familiar with soporific car trips will appreciate these commonplace scenes that frame such a fantastical story. Straightforward illustrations and traditional sepia, aerial renderings of the town make this fantastical lunar story all the more wondrous. This mashup of the ordinary and the far-out, of a little neighborhood and a giant, glowing orb from outer space, thrills. (Picture book. 3-6) Kirkus"”

"Enchanting language and a jaw-dropping premise place readers under a somnolent spell. Gentle rhymes, recurring consonance and almost subliminal rhythms make murky, dreamy paintings vivid and the surreal story sleepily spectacular. Who wouldn't close their eyes and rock to these soothing lines, as startlingly brilliant as moonlight?.... Children familiar with soporific car trips will appreciate these commonplace scenes that frame such a fantastical story. Straightforward illustrations and traditional sepia, aerial renderings of the town make this fantastical lunar story all the more wondrous. This mashup of the ordinary and the far-out, of a little neighborhood and a giant, glowing orb from outer space, thrills."--Kirkus Reviews
"Lonely images of a nighttime car trip evoke Edward Hopper paintings as the girl and her family lead the moon back into the sky. It's a suggestive account of the movements of the dreaming mind, and a gentle departure from Rex's more madcap work."--Publishers Weekly
"The image of the luminous moon, which feels close enough to touch and small enough for a child to explore, is well worth seeing. A drowsy, rather surreal bedtime story."--Booklist
"The spare poetic text, combined with illustrations in dark and vibrant jewel tones, makes each page turn carry a contemplative weight.... The story inhabits that magical territory that exists for young children who haven't yet figured the world out. Anything truly is possible. Children will love this tribute to their imaginings. and adults will appreciate the reminder that until you are taught otherwise, the Moon really can follow you all the way home."--School Library Journal
"This fantasy interlude is perfect for a bedtime story, with mood more important than logic, and the narration is appropriately ethereal and evocative.... Interior scenes are rich with warm colors, which are particularly cozy when they're juxtaposed against the ink-black background with white text, while outdoor scenes center the bright moon, using contrast and temporality to heighten the book's mysticism.... Kids will enjoy falling asleep to this imaginative fantasy."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Adam Rex is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes A Sandwich. His other books include Pssst!, The True Meaning of Smekday, Fat Vampire, and Cold Cereal. He also illustrated the Brixton Brothers series, Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem, and Chloe and the Lion, all by Mac Barnett and Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman. He lives in Tucson, Arizona. Visit him at

What do you do when the moon lowers itself into your backyard? When mornings are replaced by perpetual night, and people sigh-sleep in their eyes. What do you do when the tide comes in, and all the neighborhood dogs won't stop howling? You take the moon for a ride. Adam Rex creates a fantastic tale that is both imaginative and beautiful; one that blurs the line between dreams and reality.

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