Book Review: “The Man in the Moon” By William Joyce

Recommended reading age: 3 to 8 (though kids of all ages can enjoy reading this with their families)

What Makes This One of the Best Children’s Books

Readers need only glance at William Joyce’s “The Man in The Moon” to realize it’s something extraordinary.

Part of Joyce’s fantastical “Guardians of Childhood” series, everything about this children’s book screams “epic,” from its hefty size to its grandiose story, to its elaborate illustrations that look plucked from a feature film (which makes sense, as Joyce has contributed to the creation of Disney and Pixar films).

I admit when initially flipping through this book, I worried my son in preschool wouldn’t sit through it. It looked lengthy, with a complex plot.

But once we started reading, both of us became mesmerized by this enchanting story and its breathtaking artwork. The breadth of creativity is stunning, and every page simply drips with magic.

No doubt, this book will expand young readers’ imaginations, by introducing them to a wondrous spectacle of a tale with kooky creatures — all of which also demonstrate that it’s OK for a story to be a bit strange and unusual.

To give a taste of this otherworldly story, it chronicles the adventures of the Man in the Moon, who starts out as a baby cavorting across space on his parents’ moonship, crewed by glowworms, moonmice and moonbots.

Eventually attacked by the King of Nightmares, he becomes isolated on the moon and grows fascinated by children on Earth.

After listening to their hopes and dreams, he assembles a group of guardians (including Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and Mother Goose) to protect and nurture Earth’s children.

Readers can follow the adventures that these guardians embark upon, in the other books of this series.

As I read this book to my son, it brought to mind other tales that tickle the imagination, like “The Wizard of Oz,” The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

I also marveled at how every creature pictured in the book looks real enough to touch.

The illustrations are flooded with color and boast meticulous detail, reminding me of a blend between a renaissance painting and an Anime film.

Kids and adults alike will get lost in this book’s rich detail, which will surely boost their love for reading and storytelling.

How My Child Reacted to This Book

My son simply devoured all the wonders of “The Man in the Moon.”

The first time we read it, he immediately asked to read it again. He also begged me to show him many of the pages over and over, so he could fully inspect the miraculous illustrations.

He found many parts of the story especially delightful, like the Man in the Moon leaping about the moon and riding atop giant lunar moths.

He also asked many questions that I simply couldn’t answer. Why are there moonbots? What are glowworms? I could only respond by asking him what he thought, and I think the explanations he devised made the story even more enjoyable.

Potential Conversations and Activities to Pair with This Book

Families can help nurture children’s own storytelling abilities, by asking them to concoct their own stories based on the ideas in this book.

For instance, kids might enjoy conjuring a story about where the Man in the Moon’s family came from, or who built their transforming moon ship, or what the whimsical creatures in the book do all day.

Families can also have fun drawing pictures of creatures that they imagine could live on the moon, and even make up a story about them.

If there was ever a book to tap into kids’ creativity, this is surely it.

More Children’s Books Like This

‘Imani’s Moon’ – An Anti-Bullying Story of Mythic Proportions

‘Sofia Valdez, Future Prez’ – An Empowering Story of Kid Activism

‘Tell the Truth, Pangolin’ – A Funny Morality Tale with a Rare Animal