FINDING MONKEY MOON

When a favorite toy goes missing, what's a little boy to do?

“Every night at half past seven,” Michael and his soft stuffed toy Monkey Moon go "hippity-hop" up the stairs to bed. But one night, Michael can't find Monkey Moon in any of his favorite places—not “hiding under the sofa” or “tucked behind a chair” or “playing in the toy box.” Michael decides that Monkey Moon must have gone to the park. So, even though it's dark and rather cold, Michael decides to go find him. Of course, Dad comes along. The streets are quiet, and a brisk wind blows. The park is empty at this hour, and leaves “scuff around their feet” as they walk, and a white owl hoots on a high branch. Michael searches through the trees, a sandbox, an old wooden bench, and the sunken garden, calling out for Monkey Moon all the while. Nothing. Then, amazingly, Michael kicks at a bush and what should he see in a tangle of leaves and branches on the ground but his best friend. After a long hug, Michael puts Monkey Moon on his shoulder, and the trio hippity-hops home. Pulford's story seems like an excuse for Wilkinson's acrylic illustrations, which capture night's beauty with elegance and depth. The measured prose is a good match, but the book is far more mood piece than plot.

A quiet, contemplative book for bedtime.