Armadillo Ray - Hardcover

Beifuss, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811803341 ISBN 13: 9780811803342

Publisher: Chronicle Books Llc, 1995

Synopsis

Curious about the true nature of the moon, Armadillo Ray asks different animals for their opinion.

About this title

About the Author

John Beifuss enjoyed, as a child, capturing crawfish, fishing for doodle bugs, drawing with sand soap and watching movies that featured giant insects and birds--but no giant armadillos. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee. This is his first children's book.

Peggy Turley became interested in painting when she and her daughters created the scenery for a backyard play production. Peggy lives with her two daughters, Ginny and Betsy, their dog Alice, and their cat Lucy. This is her first children's book.

Review

--NEW YORK TIMES, Michael SledgE March 1996
Armadillo Ray, a rich, lyrical story by John Beifuss, also features a curious armadillo. But unlike Bo (Armadillo Rodeo, G.P. Putnam and Sons) Ray travels alone, and he travels by night, as a child, put to bed, might travel in dreams. Each night Ray eagerly puzzles over the changing shape of the moon, wondering, "What was this magic thing in the sky?" To find out, he wanders deep into the desert, where "tumbleweeds rolled past like children turning somersaults," and among the desert dwellers he meets are a trio of dancing snakes, a purple prairie dog and a sage grouse spinning in the brush. Each has a different mythical version of the moon's origin and phases, though they scold Ray for what they consider "a silly question for a young armadillo!"

At last an owl serves up a conventional, scientific explanation, but this seems to Ray even more unbelievable. Ray's undeterred curiosity, and the journey it takes him on, are much more important than a correct answer. Peggy Turley's strikingly beautiful oil pastel illustrations complement the story well. They are textured, vibrant, filling each page with color and fantastic linear shapes. Ray is bright yellow and orange. Jagged green and purple mountains lie beyond a desert that is sometimes deep blue, at other times black or even white when it reflects the shimmering full moon. An afterword pairs the owl's version of lunar events, told in clear, simple language, with legends and folklore that different cultures have used to explain the same phenomena. The last line is an invitation: "Maybe you have a story of your own."

--CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICES INC., February 1996
In poetic simile-laden prose, inquisitive Armadillo Ray asks the dancing snakes, a prairie dog, a strutting sage grouse, and a wise owl, "What is the moon?". They answer with their respective mythologies, all except the wise owl. The owl tells the truth, which seems more unbelievable than the stories. Explained in a way that young listeners can understand, this charming story combines brilliant coloring and imaginative illustrations to make it a complete delight!

Edition details

• Publisher: Chronicle Books Llc
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0811803341
• ISBN 13: 9780811803342
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Turley Peggy
• Number of pages: 32