WHAT RHYMES WITH MOON?
by Jane Yolen & illustrated by Ruth Tietjen Councell
The ever fluent (and prolific) Yolen offers 19 poems, written over ten years, on a single, well-worn topic—proving that there's always more to say about this near neighbor, potent image, and spur to the imagination. For would-be poets, the variety here is instructive: rueful humor (the moon as a source of "unwanted stuff," including "Mrs. Ashkenazi/who taught me second grade,/and any book to be found/in the dentist's waiting room"); references to various cultures (a "Brazilian Moon Tale" describes the animals nibbling the moon, night by night); lyrical descriptions; intriguing images ("The moon is a sickle/For pruning the stars,/For thinning out Venus/And weeding out Mars..."). Councell's illustrations feature softly rounded figures against dreamy landscapes or a starry sky, rendered in a gentle, grayed palette that centers on violet as it ranges from green to rose. An appealingly cozy offering, just right for bedtime sharing. (Poetry/Picture book. 4-9)