LITTLE BIRD AND THE MOON SANDWICH

Gazing into the sky, Alfonse (Alfonse, Where are You?, 1996) and Little Bird spy the silver orb of the full moon. Little Bird wants to touch it, but Alfonse explains it’s glued to the sky and made of Swiss cheese. When the birds spot the moon’s reflection in the pond, they and their feathered pals splash into the water after it. One goose hauls up a white rock, another a tennis ball, and a third drags up a soggy Swiss cheese sandwich. The sandwich is quickly devoured by the hungry water fowl, but Alfonse valiantly saves a piece for his wee friend. Little Bird is so enchanted with her moon cheese that she tucks it under her head for a pillow. Although this is similar to Ivan Gantschev’s Where the Moon Lives (p. 403), Berkowitz’s book is more endearing; her nighttime illustrations include just the right combination of watery splash and comforting, downy fluff. (Picture book. 1-4)