Moon River

In this dreamy addition to his growing oeuvre of picture books featuring illustrated songs, Hopgood (Singing in the Rain) borrows the title's classic 1960s tune as his inspiration and text. Taking a semi-literal approach, Hopgood depicts a wispy river snaking from a sleeping girl up to the moon. Awakening, she heads out on horseback (her rocking horse come to life) to meet a guitar-toting "huckleberry friend" (teddy bear), and the "two drifters" set off along the river to see the world. Joining a procession of children and animals, they venture past many of the world's major sights-the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and beyond-until Moon River eventually leads them back home, with only a star as evidence of their nighttime adventure. Working with a backdrop of blues, purples, and blacks, Hopgood reprises the feel-good style of his other books to create a soothing world full of music notes, rainbows, and friendly faces. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Born from memories of a Southern, rural childhood, these classic lyrics evoke simplicity, dreams, and a shimmering journey with a "huckleberry friend."Hopgood's ethereal, mixed-media illustrations depict a brown-skinned, dark-haired girl who wakes from sleep with her stuffed bear and follows a shining, rippling patha Moon Riverout her window, accompanied by her rocking horse. Once outside, the horse and bear come to life, and the three friends embark on a journey to dreamland, together with other children and their animated stuffies. They travel across a sparkling lake, past a snowy mountaintop, and through the end of the rainbow, the colorful, watery reflection of which ripples across the page. This remarkable journey is the crux of the story, full of tranquility and camaraderie, as the friends travel deeper into the night, surrounded by pale white clouds and floating musical notes that recall the lyrical origin of the story. In the vein of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, buildings from around the world appear in ghostly outlines against dark backgrounds, signaling to readers how far the characters have journeyed from home. When at last the friends return home, the horse and bear become toys once again, but this dreamlike odyssey will be waiting for tomorrow's bedtime.A classic song set to modern illustrations for a delightful reminder that friends are with us even in our dreams. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.