MOONGIRL

In this paper version of an award-winning short film, directed by the author and included on an enclosed DVD, young Leon and his pet squirrel are transported to the darkened Moon where they meet a mysterious lass and her huge cat. Then, after a dustup with the malicious Gargaloon, they help to get the elaborately carved carousel that powers the Moon re-lit and going again. The atmospheric illustrations, which are all new but done in the style of the CGI original, pit human and animal figures with riveting, outsized eyes against a shadowy, jagged, two-headed adversary within deep, grainy backgrounds rendered in indistinct grays and blues. Unfortunately, Selick is a better director than writer; along with exposing the plot’s sketchiness and lack of internal logic, his bland text comes nowhere near to measuring up to the glow of wonder and mystery that suffuses the visuals. Children will find the tale far more engrossing on the screen. (DVD) (Picture book. 6-9)