Amos and the Moon

PreS-Gr 1—Originally released in 1948, this reissue retains Balet's original illustrations and layout while using a more updated typeface. Predictably nostalgic in look and feel, the story of Amos searching for the moon is so well constructed that it reads like a more modern tale. Amos wakes one night to find the moon shining in his bedroom mirror and is determined to find it again the next day. He travels around his neighborhood from shopkeeper to shopkeeper, asking if they've seen his moon. The story takes place in an urban setting, with the proprietors representing a diverse group of immigrants, each of whom gives Amos something in lieu of the moon. Finally, his friend Joe Ming, the Chinese laundryman, gives him a cage and advises him to hang it in front of his mirror so he might catch the moon "maybe once or twice a month…and he will be with you for a little while." Illustrated endpapers of a brick apartment house set the scene, and each shop provides plenty of visual delight.