UNDER THE MOON AND STARS

A simple story written in direct, flawless language. Andrew is tired of being a kid and decides to become a cowboy. After living on the range, he starts missing his little sister, his soft bed, and his mother's cooking. Returning home, he never tires of his own lot again, but he still dreams about being a cowboy--a somewhat anti-inspirational note. Competently depicting the story's action, the moody paintings are dark and laced with purple shadows. Against these dim shapes appears the text in framed boxes; this arrangement creates a strange effect, as if the illustrations' sole purpose is to backlight the words. Nevertheless, the collaborators from The Magic Boots (1994) show a lack of complexity that is not without eloquence.