Wake Up, Moon!

Starred review from August 1, 2024
A little squirrel awakens its woodland friends for an exhilarating night of wintry playtime. "The storm is over. The stars are out. But one little squirrel is not in bed." Colored pencil and watercolor illustrations depict a warm, snug home for the red squirrel, who gazes out from the tree knot that serves as a window to a starry night. Having donned a red ski cap, the squirrel excitedly slides down a snowy slope to awaken its friends: "Wake up, snow!" The phrase "wake up" recurs as a fox, an owl, and a bear are roused. A tense moment with the bear soon turns to merriment when the friends remember that "bears just roar when they're having fun." The tender, lyrical text deftly employs rhythm and rhyme. Always simple linguistically but sometimes profound in content, it extends the wake-up call to the natural landscape and to concepts that include "shy glances" and "taking chances" and, of course, friendship. In appearance and behavior, the animals have the charm of Beatrix Potter's anthropomorphic characters: Well-executed natural details combine seamlessly with human attributes in rich, harmonious natural settings. Full-bleed art shows animals gliding, sliding, creating snow bears, and finally curling up with cocoa and bedding down to sleep--each page in this gently humorous tale would make a superb winter holiday card. That rare gem--a gorgeously crafted tale for the youngest readers that radiates beauty, warmth, and wit.(Picture book. 3-5)

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August 12, 2024
Anchored by the opening refrain “The storm is over. The stars are out,” declarative lines build to trace a wide-awake squirrel’s antics in Judge’s playful after-hours jaunt. The rodent ventures out for a moonlit romp in the snow, urging friends and feelings to “wake up!” Pals fox and owl soon join up, and the trio build a snow bear only to encounter a real bear who, following a startling moment, proves an ideal playmate (“Wake up, shy glances./ Wake up, hope and smiles/ and taking chances”). Beneath the glow of the full moon, the foursome enjoy “glittering ice.../ and gliding fast” until it’s time for “gentle hugs/ and goodbye wishes.” Awash in cool blues, the accompanying watercolor and colored pencil spreads give definition to the tawny crew as they rejoice in each other’s company—until one active protagonist finally feels ready to rest. Ages 4–8.