NIGHT FLIGHT

Sitting with his two companions, a cat and a bird, little Julian contemplates reaching a rabbit in the moon. The inventive Julian builds a ladder that is too short, and a flying machine that doesn't work. He finally comes up with the idea of a flying ship held up with balloons, but this, too, ultimately fails. Julian plummets to Earth and passes out. He awakens to soft hands cradling his head and—next thing we know—Julian is in love. Even a child's imagination can't make sense of the characters that newcomer Falda conjures. And the message is equally obscure: Does Julian fail in his quest? Does he come to his senses? Does falling in love nullify all other pursuits? None of these possibilities is satisfying. A journey into mediocrity. (Fiction/Picture book. 5-8)