Review by Booklist Review
Nicholas is ready for bed, but with the baby crying, the dog barking, and the radio blaring, he knows it's too loud for sleeping. Instead, he packs a picnic, dons his space suit, slips outside to his backyard rocket ship, and blasts off for the moon. Appreciating the quiet there, Nicholas spreads his blanket and eats his picnic before flying home. This picture book offers plenty to enjoy, from Nicholas' independence to the simplicity of the watercolor-and-pencil artwork. One incident on the moon is bit odd: The lack of gravity was a problem. The tomato slices rose softly into the atmosphere. They looked as big and round as the earth as they slowly floated away. Yes, this is a fantasy, but literal-minded children could be forming some very strange notions about the moon and its supposed lack of gravity, which lets the tomato slices float off into space, while the grapes remain on the blanket. Still, this is a lovely, childlike adventure for those willing to suspend not just disbelief but also the laws of physics.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-At bedtime, a noisy household and neighborhood prompt Nicholas to pack his lunch box, don his space suit, and launch himself in his rocket for a landing on the moon. Once there he eats his snack, cavorts on a moonwalk, and enjoys the blissful silence. After a while, he begins to think of home and returns to his spaceship, travels back to his house where all is now quiet, and tucks himself into bed. Simple lines and shapes become much more in the bright watercolor-and-pen paintings. Through varying perspectives and generous spreads, Landry makes the most of his diminutive astronaut set against the wide expanse of the yellow moon and the deep blue space background. Kids who love outer space and rockets will adore this quiet, imaginative adventure, and early readers can enjoy this tale on their own.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) Simple text and cheerful watercolors depict an imaginary nighttime adventure. With his baby sister crying, dog barking, and radio blaring, it is much too loud for Nicholas to go to bed. He decides instead to pack a healthy snack, put on his spacesuit, and head for the peace and quiet of the moon. A bouncy walk through dunes and craters and a satisfying picnic (watch out for floating tomatoes!) is just the thing, until the ""beautiful blue earth"" calls him home again. Lots of roundness, in circle-shaped illustrations as well as in objects and people, conveys the sense of comfort and calm in Nicholas's brief escape. Landry's pencil-and-watercolor art depicts moonscape and bedroom as equally cozy. The book combines a child's sensibility with a soft parental hand (not to mention soft science), creating a safe and happy space for bedtime. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When the cacophony of the household becomes too much for sleepy Nicholas, he spaces out, aboard a rocket ship to the moon. Nicholas is trying to go to sleep, but he can hear his baby sister crying, the dog barking and the radio blaring. Taking the situation in hand, he makes a snack, dons his space suit and boards his rocket. After a brief flight, he lands safely on the moon. He has trouble eating his snack as gravity is a bit scarce, but, he thinks, at least it's quiet. It isn't long, though, before he's yearning for earth and home. Upon his return, things have quieted down considerably and he's contented to have the moon outside his bedroom window. Landry's text is wordy in places, but the reading is light. The spare and jovial watercolor illustrations brightly feature a nifty rocket and moonscapes surrounded by the starry universe. This has all the elements of a far-out bedtime read, including an understanding of the need to delay the inevitable (bedtime), buoyantly combined with space travel and moon walks. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
