Julian Scheer (1926–2001)

This book was an interesting read. It begins with the very familiar feeling of playing with your friends at night, catching lightning bugs and savoring the last day before summer vacation ends and school begins. Not wanting the summer to end, Billy the main character, finds a way to take the moon out of the sky and hide it in his bedroom. So that is where the story takes a fantastical turn. He realizes that he has to put the moon back and that the moon will return each summer after. The illustrations in this book are beautiful. And the characters in the book live and work on farms. The story does go from a familiar story to fantasy, but it is fun to experience. It really captured that feeling of playing outside during the summer with your friends and never wanting it to end. We also get from this book that even though it's sad that summer is ending, school beginning is good and friends will still be there to play, and Billy will still get to enjoy the moon each summer.… (más)

May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers beat this for the Caldecott in 1965. I bet it was a tough decision. (Though I don't personally like the former nearly as much as this, I can imagine the appeal.)

This is just gorgeous - nonsense verse illustrated by intricate fantasy scenes that could give a reader cumulative hours and hours of joy. I hope you all can get a copy, and be sure to read the information on the flaps, including especially Scheer's biography & photo.

This is a book that, had I read it as a child, would probably have changed my life. I would have been inspired to more freely appreciate 'silly talk' and to attempt to create my own detailed imaginary scenes like the ones drawn here by Bilick. I definitely would have given it five stars then.… (más)