IN THE MOONLIGHT MIST

A tender and inspirational retelling of a magical Korean tale of goodness and sacrifice. When a young woodcutter saves a deer from a hunter, the deer offers to grant him a wish. The woodcutter wants a loving wife and family more than anything, but believes he is too poor to marry. The enchanted deer grants him a heavenly maiden of a wife and before long the happy couple is blessed with a child. But soon, homesick and seduced by the heavens, the wife and child return to life among the stars, leaving the poor woodcutter earthbound and alone. The deer takes sympathy on the woodcutter and offers him a passage to the heavens, which he gives instead to his ailing, elderly mother. The gods finally step in, reuniting the selfless man with his entire family in paradise. San Souci’s retelling is captivating, but Neilan’s vibrant use of line and emotional expressions furnish the enchantment. (Picture book/folklore. 5-8)