The Moon Man

by Isabel Harris, Ada Grey (Illustrator)

One sunny day, Cat, Rabbit, and Squirrel see a farmer put a scarecrow in a nearby field. That night, Owl, Fox, and Hedgehog see the scarecrow, too. “I think it’s a man,” Fox says. “From the moon!” adds Owl. Fox, Owl, and Hedgehog decide he must be hungry after traveling such a long way, so they leave food for him. In the morning, Cat, Rabbit, and Squirrel find the food and think that the scarecrow has left it for them! With each passing day and night, all of the friends discover that the Moon Man is full of surprises!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Friendship

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, this picture book is a charmer, filled with sunny illustrations and a story that would warm the hardest heart. After the farmer erects a scarecrow in the nearby field, three animals, Cat, Rabbit, and Squirrel, explore the object, and decide that even though it must be intended to ward off crows, it seems friendly enough. Later on, as it becomes dark, three nocturnal creatures, Fox, Owl, and Hedgehog, venture forth, and decide to gather food for what they decide must be a Moon Man. They leave their nutritious gifts at his feet, and the next day, the diurnal animals find the food, think it's a gift from their new friend. After devouring their feast, they want to say thank you in some way so they gather flowers and strew the Moon Man with them. Thinking that the man must be homesick because he has picked flowers to take with him, Fox, Owl, and Hedgehog fashion a rocket ship to allow him to travel home. Once the farmer sees all the flowers on the scarecrow, he moves him to another spot, and the animals are sure they can see him in the moon at night. Yes, this one has "AWWWW!" all over it, and made me smile at the kindness and innocence of those animals. It's entertaining to notice that neither set of animals has any idea what the others are up to even while the Moon Man just smiles on without saying a word.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's cute looking, and no doubt children enjoy being smarter than those silly critters. But for me it was all over when Cat is excited at the gift of raw vegetables. I can go along with the idea of predators and prey being pals and speaking the same language as part of a long-standing children's book tradition. I can ignore that the strawberries and corn are ripe at the same time of year. And I disagree with, but will accept, the decision to split the critters up into Day and Night teams, eschewing the ambiguities of crepuscular schedules. But a cat being pleased by a gift of fruits and veg? Nope, sorry. The idea of a farmer putting out a scarecrow in a wheatfield after the field has been harvested is baffling, but I'll let it slide. But a happy dance for produce is beyond the Pale for me. Cats don't have molars, so how is that even supposed to work? Other stuff comes after that, but my brain was well gone.

Addendum: well, Harris was 9 when she write the story, so I'll rate this on a curve.

Library copy

[Jelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute story about a scarecrow and the various animals that see it at different times of the day/night and how that impacts what they think they know about the world. The story (written by a kid) is actually illustrating a very deep concept about perspective but in the cutest way possible.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yöeläimet ja päiväeläimet vuorollaan ihmettelevät variksenpelätintä. Nelivuotiaan mielestä tosi hauska.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent longer than usual thinking about this unique and interesting story. It's funny and imaginative.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorful illustrations. It is an easy to understand story that children will follow easily.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day Cat, Rabbit and Squirrel discovered a new addition to the wheatfield they lived near. It was a scarecrow, but only Rabbit knew that. The friends played near the scarecrow because he smelled nice and had a friendly face. That night, Fox, Owl and Hedgehog came out into the field and see the scarecrow. They think that he’s a moon man and leave him food to eat. The next morning, the other animals believe the scarecrow has left them some treats to eat. They in turn give the scarecrow flowers. The nocturnal animals see the flowers and think that the moon man has picked them because the moon doesn’t have any flowers. Perhaps they should build him a rocket to return home. When the farmer returns, he finds his scarecrow quite different! He moves it to another field, so the nocturnal animals believe their rocket has worked!

Grey’s picture book has young readers in on the joke immediately. The day animals know what the scarecrow is and their jubilant reaction sets the tone for the book. The nocturnal animals are the most confused, but their story is what makes the book really work. It is particularly nice that their story of what is happening is never disproven and instead remains intact throughout the book. The illustrations are bright and summery, filled with golds and greens. The nighttime illustrations fade to grays and pastels. A book about imagination and creativity, this picture book is full of humor and friendship. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Luciana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a cute story about a scarecrow who is placed in the field by a farmer to ward off the crows. The daytime animals know who he is & what is job is (rabbit, squirrel & cat). But the night creatures (fox, owl &hedgehog) think it is a creature from the moon. They leave food for it to eat as they think it's hungry. The daytime creatures come back, eat the food, & leave flowers. The night time creatures prepare it for it's trip to the moon....so on & so on, back & forth. Then, it's gone!

A very imaginative story!

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isabel Harrisin ja Ada Greyn "Ystävämme kuu-ukko" (Mäkelä, 2018) on kustantamon perusvarma käännöstuote, jossa yhdistyvät eläinpäähenkilöt, herttaiset kuvat ja aika yhdentekevä tarina. Otetaan tämä nyt kuitenkin satutunnille mukaan, jos parempaa ei löydy.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and a sweet story.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is cute, but forgettable.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and fun with gorgeous illustrations, this one is a great group read aloud!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, whimsical story withequally lovely illustrations.

[Baylee Reagin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute illustrations and storyline with both daytime and nighttime creatures

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was charming and beautifully written, overall just lovely and sweet. A bedtime favourite!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of weird but fun. The story doesn't really end, does it? Hard to say... I liked the story of the daytime creatures better than that of the nighttime ones, but it was all cute.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some wild animals on a farm think a scarecrow is a moon man. I thought the story was okay, but I really enjoyed the artwork. I really liked the fox and the squirrel.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Itse kuvakirja oli hieman pöhkö, mutta suloisesti kuvitettu. Kolme kaverusta päiväsaikaan näkevät maajussin pystyttävän pellolle variksenpelättimen, mutta kolme kaverusta yöaikaan luulevat samaista variksenpelätintä kuu-ukoksi. Molemmat kaveriporukat pitävät ilmestystä pellolla enemmän ja vähemmän elävänä tapauksena ja siitäkös seikkailu syntyy.

Tarinasta saimme kuitenkin eskarilaisen kanssa hienon aasinsillan siihen, miten eri tilanteet voivat näyttäytyä aivan eri tavalla muille ihmisille.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Owl, Fox, and Hedgehog send their friend back to the moon.