Moonhorse - Hardcover

Mary Pope Osborne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394889606 ISBN 13: 9780394889603

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2016

Synopsis

"Osborne's poetic text comes to mysterious life in Saelig's dark, dreamy illustrations." —Booklist
 
From the author of the bestselling and beloved Magic Tree House series comes a brand-new edition of the lovely, lyrical bedtime story, 25 years after its original publication.
 
Out of the night, the winged Moonhorse appears, and a young girl slips away from her sleeping father to join him. Together they ride past stars and night shadows, constellations and comets, as they pull the moon across the clear night sky.
 
Moonhorse is a luminously illustrated bedtime fantasy that opens the door to the world of dreams and myths in an enchanting way.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Pope Osborne is the author of many highly praised books such as American Tall Tales and the internationally bestselling Magic Tree House Books.
 
S. M. Saelig made her illustrating debut with Moonhorse in 1991. Since then she has illustrated Mama, I'll Give You the World, an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner, and other picture books under her married name, S. Saelig Gallagher.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-- A moonlit ride on a winged horse is the focus of this uneven fantasy. The young narrator, sitting on the porch with her sleeping father on a warm summer night, wishes on a star, and the Moonhorse arrives to carry her on a journey through the stars. Osborne's prose is generally smooth and lyrical but suffers from occasional awkwardness that mars the rhythm. The pace of the text is also weakened by its varied placement on the pages, leading readers to pause mid-sentence when there are visible gaps between phrases. Saelig's illustrations, on the other hand, are consistently ethereal and evocative, and do much to strengthen the book's appeal. Somber colors and softened edges convey mood and atmosphere while also depicting the night-time world in a semi-realistic fashion. Particularly strong images appear when the narrator names the various constellations she and the Moonhorse fly past. Unfortunately, the plot is slight, and easily overshadowed by the dramatic paintings. Still, Saelig's art is bound to engage both children and adults, making it possible for this work to gain an appreciative audience despite its flaws. --Lisa Dennis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Still another child explores the night sky with a fabulous companion--here, a white winged horse who helps her draw the moon across heavens populated by constellations, shown as they might have appeared in old engravings pricked out with shining stars. In carefully composed airbrushed paintings, this first-time illustrator appealingly combines the astronomy lesson with a sense of adventure and awe, nicely extending Osborne's gracefully phrased text. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0394889606
• ISBN 13: 9780394889603
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40