"A boy alone.
A mysterious invitation.
And an extraordinary
bedtime adventure
begins ... "
A young boy, sitting all alone at a table where other boys sit - removed from his melancholy and loneliness. It's the same at night in a room filled with side-by-side dormitory beds, he is the only one awake. His face is swathed in moonlight; his pet turtle appears to be bent on escaping its bowl.
Noticing with alarm the empty bowl, the boy is surprised to find an invitation leaning there. The message reads: "The honor of your presence is requested ... "
The full moon beckons him outdoors. Dressed, with his bicycle at the ready, he is off on an adventure that includes a long and winding path, a lantern, a bridge, and a familiar (if larger) friend. He climbs up on the turtle's back and they move forward with their journey. It leads to rejoicing with new animal friends, and ends with sunrise. The two (turtle included) scamper back into their bedroom. Feeling more confident now, he shares his dream with the other boys, and brings a heartwarming end to his feeling of being alone.
The text is spare, leaving the extraordinary artwork to tell a visual story that contains many of the essential features of other folkloric tales. The imagination is a wonderful thing. This story is a search for a connection and is perfect at bedtime, or anytime.
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