THE MOON CHILDREN

Divided in their beliefs about what sort of cheese the moon is made from, three major factions in the mouse world plan a lunar mission to find out for certain in Creel’s picture book.

From the moment a mouse child first lays eyes upon the shining moon, he believes that the moon is made of cheese. That belief passes down through generations, and in time it leads to disagreement: What sort of cheese is it? Three major faiths emerge: the Cheddarics, the Swissologists, and Goudists, each with followers devout to the point of fanaticism. Still, they work together to send a rocket to the moon. There, three mouse representatives find...only dust and rocks. Many of the faithful back on Earth refuse to believe such blasphemy, but one mouse child decides it still loves the moon—whatever it might be made of. Creel and illustrator Kres concoct a fun little fable that will both amuse adults and encourage children to favor heartfelt faith over dogma. The book is divided between dark-backgrounded (with white text) two-page spreads that play to the moon’s mystical appeal and single-page white backgrounds (with black text) against which the mice squabble or plan their mission. The prose is refined and offers plenty of memorable lines. (“The Swissologists made their own announcement: ‘In the most holiness we believe!’”) Kres’ digital artwork offers serviceable landscapes and depicts mouse protagonists full of vitality and character.

A clever religious parable, playful in the telling.