When the Moon Comes - Hardcover

Harbridge, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1101917776 ISBN 13: 9781101917770

Publisher: Tundra Books, 2017

Synopsis

In this atmospheric story, a group of kids play hockey on a frozen lake by moonlight. At once nostalgic and timely, this is a gorgeous book that will speak to readers young and old.

The beaver flood has finally frozen--perfect ice, without a bump or a ripple. For the kids in town, it's Christmas in November. They wait, impatiently, for the right moment.

Finally, it arrives: the full moon.

They huff and puff through logging trails, farms, back roads and tamarack swamps, the powdery snow soaking pant legs and boots, till they see it--their perfect ice, waiting.

And the game is on.

When the moon Comes is steeped in tradition and nostalgia: for hockey, for childhood, for a simpler time. The beauty of the text is matched by the brilliant, rich illustrations that wonderfully capture the magic of a moonlit night in winter.

About this title

About the Author

PAUL HARBRIDGE is the author of the picture book Helena's Voyage and several published short stories. A graduate of the University of Toronto, he works as a speech-language pathologist with adults with developmental disabilities. He and his wife, Isabel, live in Etobicoke, Ontario, and are the proud parents of Daniel and Helena.

MATT JAMES is a painter, illustrator and musician. His books have won many prestigious awards, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the New Mexico Book Award and the Governor General's Award. Matt lives in Toronto with his family.

From School Library Journal

Gr 2–5—As ducks fly south for the winter, kids wait impatiently for the full moon and the promise of ice on the beaver flood. When it finally arrives, they trek through the fresh-fallen snow to play hockey under the moonlight before clambering back to the warmth of their beds. This seemingly straightforward tale about a group of children playing hockey is grander than it first appears. Poignant figurative language makes their walk and first skate in the woods a quest, as they return home "like knights in armor, lances over our shoulders, hoods like helmets around our faces." Nature is alive, personified throughout as cold "biting noses and cheeks," "playful snow" with a watchful moon observing it all. Harbridge uses language to create a space where magic happens, providing an opportunity for extraordinary things to occur in an ordinary world. Acrylic paint and India ink illustrations in rich jewel tones evoke the frosty chill of deep winter nights and James's choices in changing perspective stimulates interest. At times, readers are in the middle of the action, racing across the ice, while in other scenes they are small and gazing up at the omnipresent moon. The moon always takes center stage in this original story about the benefits of waiting and the inherent beauty of simple things: friends, a game of hockey, and a moonlit night. VERDICT An exquisite selection for older elementary readers, this is a first purchase for school and public libraries.—Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

About this edition

• Publisher: Tundra Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1101917776
• ISBN 13: 9781101917770
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: James Matt