Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
21st out of 82 books
—
165 voters
The Man in the Moon (The Guardians of Childhood #1)
Up there in the sky.
Don’t you see him?
No, not the moon.
The Man in the Moon.
He wasn’t always a man.
Nor was he always on the moon.
He was once a child.
Like you.
Until a battle,
a shooting star,
and a lost balloon
led him on a quest.
Meet the very first
Guardian of Childhood.
MiM, the Man in the Moon.
Don’t you see him?
No, not the moon.
The Man in the Moon.
He wasn’t always a man.
Nor was he always on the moon.
He was once a child.
Like you.
Until a battle,
a shooting star,
and a lost balloon
led him on a quest.
Meet the very first
Guardian of Childhood.
MiM, the Man in the Moon.
Hardcover, 56 pages
Published
September 6th 2011
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,073)
4.5 stars
I thought this book was absolutely magical. The illustrations were so incredible. The author William Joyce created one of my favorite Playhouse Disney shows Rolie Polie Olie. I used to watch it with my niece when she was 2 yrs. old (the good ol' days). He has created this fantastical world about the character the Man in the Moon. As I was reading this book I was thinking "this should really be made into a movie". I checked out BN.com and they stated that Dreamworks is currently producin...more
I thought this book was absolutely magical. The illustrations were so incredible. The author William Joyce created one of my favorite Playhouse Disney shows Rolie Polie Olie. I used to watch it with my niece when she was 2 yrs. old (the good ol' days). He has created this fantastical world about the character the Man in the Moon. As I was reading this book I was thinking "this should really be made into a movie". I checked out BN.com and they stated that Dreamworks is currently producin...more
1 like · like · see review
Nov 21, 2011
Mad_Maudie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
kids, parents, grandparents, anyone with kids
This is a sweet story to read to a child at bedtime (or any time, for that matter), and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous works of art. Any child would be happy to share this beautiful book with a loved one, I'm sure.
1 like · like · see review
Hoy fui con un amigo al FCE. En lo que llegaba, decidí ver qué libros había por ahí. Bueno, vi este y mientras esperaba, lo leí. Es un libro pequeño, el primero de la serie de los guardianes. Desde hace mucho que quiero leer la serie de los guardianes, no sé porqué. Creo que es como un gusto culpable: me gustan los libros de aventuras, las novelitas juveniles que son divertidas, los personajes entrañables y todas esas cosas, algo como la isla del tesoro o la serie del padre Brown o los juegos de...more
We've just finished reading
and went on to the related picture books:
and
Beautifully illustrated, taking the story and images of the Man in the Moon as told by the Lamas in Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, and expanding them to an expressive, engaging picture book. Could comfortably be read alone - for early school readers (5+) to be read to, 8+ to read by themselves.
Disappointingly, it does take some of the defined characters from the chapter books and give them a twi...more
and went on to the related picture books:and
Beautifully illustrated, taking the story and images of the Man in the Moon as told by the Lamas in Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, and expanding them to an expressive, engaging picture book. Could comfortably be read alone - for early school readers (5+) to be read to, 8+ to read by themselves.
Disappointingly, it does take some of the defined characters from the chapter books and give them a twi...more
An incredibly illustrated book! Up in the sky, we are told, is the man in the moon. But who is he? Where did he come from? Was he ever a little boy? Evidently, yes. He had parents and a friend named Nightlight who watched over him, and protected him from Pitch the king of nightmares.
Pitch was determined to have the young man in the moon for his own, and set off to find him. Nightlight is commanded by the boys parents to protect him at all costs. His parents, in their great sky ship battle with...more
Pitch was determined to have the young man in the moon for his own, and set off to find him. Nightlight is commanded by the boys parents to protect him at all costs. His parents, in their great sky ship battle with...more
A prequel, or possibly the first book of William Joyce's new "Guardians" series, however unlike Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, this one is a children's picture book. This sort of thing is right in William Joyce's wheelhouse.
The story here is covered briefly in one of the early chapters of Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, but here it's given the fully-fleshed out treatment.
As usual with Joyce, absolutely beautiful and imaginative illustrations c...more
The story here is covered briefly in one of the early chapters of Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, but here it's given the fully-fleshed out treatment.
As usual with Joyce, absolutely beautiful and imaginative illustrations c...more
Reason for Reading: I received this book unsolicited but it captured my fancy as soon as I saw it.
This is an absolutely beautiful book. First of all it reminds me of a late 19th century picturebook with the lavish illustration, the text and the layout when looking at the endpages, the title page, the first page and so on. It has that old-time feel about it, but as one really starts looking the illustrations one recognizes the steampunk theme, the clockworks, the airships. Pure delight! In fact I...more
This is an absolutely beautiful book. First of all it reminds me of a late 19th century picturebook with the lavish illustration, the text and the layout when looking at the endpages, the title page, the first page and so on. It has that old-time feel about it, but as one really starts looking the illustrations one recognizes the steampunk theme, the clockworks, the airships. Pure delight! In fact I...more
This enchanting picture book will surely be on many of the Best Children's Picture Books lists. It is absolutely stunning. Its creator, William Joyce, is mostly known for his work on animated childrens' films and TV programs, such as Toy Story and Rolie Polie Olie.
Joyce opens this tale by explaining how everyone knows the Guardians of Childhood, who include Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Man in the Moon (MiM), and other familiar figures. This tale explains how the Man in the Moon came into his rol...more
Joyce opens this tale by explaining how everyone knows the Guardians of Childhood, who include Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Man in the Moon (MiM), and other familiar figures. This tale explains how the Man in the Moon came into his rol...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I saw William Joyce speak at the ALA Conference in June 2011. He talked quite a bit about the development of this book, it is the first book he's written in about fifteen years. He spoke in-depth about how he had cultivated the mythology of Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and others, for his children and how it made this book quite personal. Added to this was the fact that Mr. Joyce was developing the premise for this book during illness of his daughter and her subsequent death, gives...more
The Man in the Moon is the first book in The Guardians of Childhood series and tells a beautiful story that is sad at times and incredibly beautiful in its entirety. I always find Joyce's books to have the most stunning imagery and I love the out of this world tone of the illustrations in this one. This is the tale of how a little boy, a child aboard the ship the Moon Clipper surrounded by family and friends, became the Man in the Moon (MiM) and gathered up all the Guardians of Childhood.
This ta...more
This ta...more
What a fabulous, beautifully illustrated book that tells a unique story about the man in the moon. This is one of those books that reads like a movie you'd want to take your kids to see. I'm not sure what I was drawn more towards, the absolutely amazing artwork or the fantastic story.
Have you ever wondered who or what lived on the moon? William Joyce's debut The Man in The Moon not only introduces to the jolly man who lives there (nope I'm not talking Santa Claus), he'll also tell you how he got...more
Have you ever wondered who or what lived on the moon? William Joyce's debut The Man in The Moon not only introduces to the jolly man who lives there (nope I'm not talking Santa Claus), he'll also tell you how he got...more
I had seen this book somewhere online and decided I wanted to read it and then forgot about it. Today, while I was walking into the Children's section of the library, I saw it on display and immediately picked it up. Words alone cannot describe how much I absolutely love this book, the concept and the illustrations! The whole premise of the book (and the upcoming series) is that the Man in the Moon (MiM for short) is the first of the Guardians of Childhood. He creates the other Guardians after l...more
What an ambitious project these "Guardians of Childhood" books will be. "The Man in the Moon" employs a fantastical steampunk visual aesthetic that not everyone will enjoy, but will sure to entrance those looking for something fresh. Joyce also writes a unique tale - the origin of the Man in the Moon, or MIM, who we learn is the oldest of the Guardians of Childhood, also including characters like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. The story of MIM's birth, the loss of his parents, and his growth i...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
With stunning illustrations filled with every color imaginable, many with dark hues, tints and tones,William Joyce provides the back story for the Man in the Moon (MiM). As a baby, his life was joyous, and he never had a nightmare, which angered Pitch, the King of Nightmares. Pitch decides to give the baby a nightmare, and Mim loses his parents and his protector in the ensuing battle. Afterward, the moon creatures take care of him, and he uses sand to brighten the moon's surface so children on E...more
Beautiful story and magical illustrations make this book unforgettable. It is the story of MiM (Man in the Moon), who was a loved child traveling with his parents and his guardian, Nightlight through space. The villain, Pitch, the King of Nightmares searches for MiM, and in one final battle, the ship is destroyed and his parents are forever placed in the stars. MiM grows up watching the children of Earth, and wants to protect them as Nightlight had protected him so long ago. This book has everyt...more
I'm giving this book 4 stars because we just read the first book in the Guardians of Childhood chapter book series: "Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King." This book answers many questions we had about the Man in the Moon, the Nightmare King and Nightlight from the Nicholas St. North book. And the color illustrations in this picture book are wonderful. This Guardians of Childhood concept is very imaginative, and we look forward to reading the future chapter and picture books i...more
I've read a bunch of the reviews of this and appear to fall somewhere in between. The story is sweet, the pictures are amazing but I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied. This feels like it could be a longer story rather than a picture book perhaps. It also has a very . . . old school nostalgic feel to it that at times I like and other times I bang my head against as being perhaps a little over precious.
I'm not sure. I think it's beautiful, imaginative and sweet and perhaps "splendid". It'll be a...more
I'm not sure. I think it's beautiful, imaginative and sweet and perhaps "splendid". It'll be a...more
A charming book. While the morality it espouses would be familiar to anyone grounded in the tales it adopts, the telling is a bit more interesting, as Joyce is attempting to not just reinvent the traditional heroes of holidays, but knit them into an alternate world of their own. It's written in a classic style evocative of A. A. Milne and Roald Dahl, but doesn't quite measure up to their level of lyricism. Still, I can't deny the charm of the series, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in...more
Joyce is one of the finest authors/illustrators ever. This is a delightful, intriguing and beyond beautiful book. The only thing that stops me from giving it five stars, is that I love his previous works: The Leaf Men and Dinosaur Bob, even more. I want to keep my five star rating for the handful of books, like The Leaf Men and Dinosaur Bob, that say something profoundly true in an interesting way, accompanied by perfect illustrations. The illustrations of the Man in the Moon couldn't be better,...more
this was the book of choice for my daughter's first bedtime story. once I saw the illustrations in the store I knew I preferred it over all the long sold out story franchises on the shelves. it has detail and it's obvious a lot of loving care went into making the everything just right. when I finally read her the story I found it a little too choppy, which is why we are missing one star but I'm very much looking forward to the books that may follow this one. I read it to her just about every oth...more
this is a very interesting book. while I myself liked it, kids seemed to really love it. I think the fantasy world that is so well shown visually is the main reason, but also the mythology created for the Man in the Moon and other familiar childhood "people" like Santa and Jack Frost caught their attention.
The illustrations are intricate and contraptions like the "moon clipper" make this book kind of like a steampunk primer for kids, lol. The mix of intricate art and contraptions drawn definite...more
The illustrations are intricate and contraptions like the "moon clipper" make this book kind of like a steampunk primer for kids, lol. The mix of intricate art and contraptions drawn definite...more
Another beautiful picture book by William Joyce. An introductory story to the Guardians of Childhood series. Richly illustrated with lyrical text (thank you for NOT trying to rhyme, Mr. Joyce! Not everyone can be Dr. Seuss!), this story gives a real-feeling history to the legendary Man in the Moon that I had never heard before. Some of the pictures are scary while others are incredibly beautiful and quirky. Think Rolie Poly Olie combined with Meet the Robinsons (2 of Joyce's screen credits). Awe...more
Aug 24, 2012
Bonnie at A Backwards Story
added it
When I first saw the cover for William Joyce's THE MAN IN THE MOON this past fall, I knew I was looking at something special. Every once in a while, I flip through picture books that catch my eye. Rarely do I bring them home with me. This was one of those exceptions. Every page was like a precious jewel that was all my own. I was convinced that Joyce would receive a Caldecott nomination, and devastated when he didn't. Every page, every illustration, is breath-taking. It amazes me that Joyce spen...more
I purchased this from the Kindle store, since I was told by someone else that it's been out of print for a while. However, it looks like it is not out of print, maybe because of the movie release, and could be purchased in hardcover.
I think I'll buy the hardcover again soon. It's the kind of book I want to hold, to cuddle with my kids and read, and hopefully to have around to cuddle and read with my grandkids.
Truthfully, I wasn't expecting much, but this is a lovely creation of the story of the...more
I think I'll buy the hardcover again soon. It's the kind of book I want to hold, to cuddle with my kids and read, and hopefully to have around to cuddle and read with my grandkids.
Truthfully, I wasn't expecting much, but this is a lovely creation of the story of the...more
This book is my pick for the 2012 Caldecott Award.
I chose this book for a number of reasons. The story is about a baby boy who lives in outer space with his parents. The live in a device called the Moon Clipper which travels around during the day and at night turns in to what we know as the moon. His parents have a fairy-like person named Nightlight to watch over him at night so he never has a bad dream. When Pitch, the king of nightmares, hears about this child, he tries to get to the baby so...more
I chose this book for a number of reasons. The story is about a baby boy who lives in outer space with his parents. The live in a device called the Moon Clipper which travels around during the day and at night turns in to what we know as the moon. His parents have a fairy-like person named Nightlight to watch over him at night so he never has a bad dream. When Pitch, the king of nightmares, hears about this child, he tries to get to the baby so...more
Jan 13, 2012
Kaethe
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
format-picture-books,
read-aloud,
adventure,
animals,
fantasy,
fiction,
mythology,
retellings
Fun fact: I started two books last night, this and The Lathe of Heaven. And although I don't normally read blurbs on dust jackets, in these case I did. And both of these books are blurbed by Michael Chabon, whom I adore. And I had just finished reading a blog post about the wedding of Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer celebrated January 1, 2010 in the home of Chabon and Ayelet Waldman (whom I also adore). My daughter, who adores Joyce and Gaiman as much as I do, was equally enchanted by this conflue...more
Both of my boys loved this book. I can't even put my finger on why I wasn't crazy about it. I've always found William Joyce agreeable, but it is too much like somebody rambling off a bedtime story without a really clear direction of where he was taking us. Or, maybe it was more like a poor movie adaptation of a great story that I hadn't read yet. I must be missing something, but have no clue what it might be. It is a visually stunning book however. I will try the others in the planned series.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Librarians: Where would you put this? | 2 | 13 | Aug 26, 2012 10:03pm |
Award-winning author and filmmaker William Joyce is working on a new series of picture books and chapter books. In "The Guardians of Childhood," readers learn the "formative stories of childhood legends," Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing announced Monday.
The first two books come out in the fall.
Joyce has created characters for "Toy Story" and other films and also is known for such books...more
More about William Joyce...
The first two books come out in the fall.
Joyce has created characters for "Toy Story" and other films and also is known for such books...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Watch over our child. Guide him safely from the ways of harm.
Keep happy his heart, brave his soul, and rosy his cheeks.
Guard with your life his hopes and dreams,
for he is all that we have, all that we are,
and all that we will ever be.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
Keep happy his heart, brave his soul, and rosy his cheeks.
Guard with your life his hopes and dreams,
for he is all that we have, all that we are,
and all that we will ever be.”
:O)
Mar 17, 2013 02:58am