The Man in the Moon
by William Joyce
The Man in the Moon is a lovingly told, fantasy thrill ride through the creation of beloved fictional childhood luminaries Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and more, plus a curious explanation of how the Earth’s moon came to light up our night sky. Man in the Moon is not your average picture book!
With a beautiful, slowly unfolding plot and breathtaking illustrations, William Joyce has given a back story to figures we’ve been left to assume simply materialized out of thin air. Well, I guess he’s telling us that is exactly what happened as the original Guardians of Childhood were anointed in the thin air of the moon. Think: early-childhood Justice League, of sorts.
I’ve never been one drawn to the fantasy genre but Man in the Moon has captured my imagination and that of my two young daughters. The book blends mysticism, magic, giant glowworms, a fairy, a dark prince of nightmares, and an adorable, if not slightly Messianic, pudgy baby mumbling only the words “Toot, Toot!”, to create a modern children’s classic that will more than piss off the overtly religious. But I swear I like it for way more than that reason 😉
