Have you ever wanted to catch the moon? You can float through the sky in a hot air balloon, or ripple through the night on a magic carpet. Here are seven astonishing, moon-catching capers.
Mark (M.P) Robertson was born in Parsons Green, London in 1965.
At an early age he moved to a dormitory town where he did his best to sleep through most of his education.
He narrowly managed to acquire the minimum number of 'O' levels to study graphic design at Hounslow Borough College.
After three years he left disillusioned, took a year to ponder his own navel, then returned to take a degree in illustration at Kingston polytechnic.
After leaving in 1988 he was amazed to find people willing to pay him money to do what he enjoyed. He has been capitalizing on this ever since.
His first picture book Seven Ways to Catch the Moon was published in 1999.
He currently lives in Bradford on Avon, near Bath, with his partner Sophy Williams (Also an illustrator) and two boys. He works in his garden shed where he worries about losing his hair.
We have all been told that simple ideas are often the best and Seven Ways to Catch the Moon is a beautiful example of this. Written in simple AABB rhyme with just a single line per double page, this book captures readers’ imagination with its sleepily clever ideas and delicately intricate illustrations. What makes this book so lovely is that it understates everything, leaving the imagination to do the rest and take flights of fancy.
Seven Ways to Catch the Moon is best if read to or with people. In those circumstances it is likely to capture the imagination and generate a shared experience that could make this one of those books that can make reading feel special and unique. It is most appropriate for KS1 though would certainly have a place in EYFS. More importantly though, this is one of those books that won’t intimidate children and is likely to have them picking it up time and again to read themselves.
In the classroom, I would certainly read this book to the class during story time and consider using it as an introduction to poetry, an art or drama project. Indeed perhaps all three, with each feeding into the other. Further to this, Seven Ways to catch the Moon is a book I would like to have on a class bookshelf for children to read independently.