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Tuesday, March 9, 2021

A Fort on the Moon, written by Maggie Pouncey and illustrated by Larry Day. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, Penguin Random House. 2020. $24.99 ages 4 and up


"So we wait. And at last the right night
arrives. We lie in our beds, as still as moon 
craters, till we no longer hear our parents'
soft voices and the ribbon of light beneath 
our door disappears into darkness.
"

I have two granddaughters who spend a good part of their days living in their imaginations. There is little they are not willing to dream, to discuss, to embark upon with determination and delight. Dodge and Fox are much the same. Their newest project is decidedly 'out-of-this-world'. It is Dodge who shares their plan with the book's readers. 

They have all the equipment they need, and an appropriate place for their launch to the moon. They name their ship The White Dolphin. While still at home, they use their impressive engineering skills to build the practice 'fort' there. They reassure their parents that they will be all right when they explain they have already made the same trip four times previously. 

Patiently they wait for their chance to launch. With careful cunning and impeccable timing, they climb the steps to the top of their house. The ship is ready, the materials loaded. They are headed for the Sea of Tranquility. 

"When you travel to the moon, 
you must go very fast, faster than
you've ever gone. The Earth, far
behind you, looks like a marble.
"

Despite difficulties, they do what they have come to do and return home, drowsy and delighted with their mission. Watercolor and gouache pictures bring their adventure to thrilling life, and add to the gentle humor of this story of creative brothers closely connected over a shared flight of fancy.                                                                                       

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