I'll See You When the Moon Is Full

Abe will miss his father when he takes off on a business trip but is reassured of his return in two weeks, when the crescent moon becomes full

PreSchool-Grade 1-This delightful tale about a father preparing for a business trip and saying goodbye to his son is comforting, comical, and satisfying. As Abe helps Daddy pack, they explain how much they miss each other when they're apart-"'I miss you so much that I can't go to bed on time,'" Abe says. "'I heard about that,'" his father replies. When asked when he'll be home this time, the man says, "'...when the moon is full,'" and proceeds to give a wonderful explanation of the phases of the moon. The loving relationship parent and child share, as well as the anguish the man feels whenever he has to leave, is evident from page one. Similar to Deborah Lee Rose's Meredith's Mother Takes the Train (Albert Whitman, 1991), in which a mother goes off to work and her little girl goes to daycare, this book boasts a fresh approach to a common situation. The bright, colorful illustrations and generous white space make it a gem for story time and lap-time reading.
Denise Furgione, Atlantic County Library, Mays Landing, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Getting ready for a two-week business trip, bald-topped Daddy shares his feelings with Abe: ``I miss you so much that my hair falls out.'' Sometimes, too, he says, instead of taking notes in meetings he draws the two of them fishing--just as Abe does, waiting at home. Companionably, both confide the effects of the separation, and then Daddy promises to be home when the crescent moon is full; Abe can watch it, and draw it, larger each day. ``You can always count on the moon, and...on me.'' Comforting, sensible, and crafted with care (it's especially good to find a picture book where the moon isn't full all the time), the story is nicely extended in bright, realistic illustrations where the pajama-clad preschooler--first seen wistfully hiding in the empty suitcase--confirms his closeness to Dad while he helps him pack. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 3-6. Helping his daddy pack for a business trip, Abe asks "When are you coming back?" Because "two weeks" doesn't mean much to a preschooler, Daddy shows Abe the moon out the window, explains that it changes, and tells Abe that he'll be back when the moon is full again. What's winning about this book isn't the science; it's the affection that emerges as the father talks about missing his son. The acrylic illustrations show the parent and child as distinct individuals, but they also catch similarities of posture and gesture in the warmly related pair. The story makes it clear that a business trip isn't always fun and that just as a child can miss a parent, a parent can miss a child. Mary Harris Veeder