Renee Price (text) Anil Tortop (illus) Digby’s Moon Mission, Create It Kids, 1 December 2014, (unpaged), $14.95 (pbk), ISBN 9780992345730
When Digby awakes in the night and discovers the moon has been reduced to a thin sliver, he gathers his friends with a plan of action to restore it to its full size. Together they create a banquet of food and catapult it toward the moon and over the next few days Digby is delighted as it begins to grow until it is “as plump and full as pie.”
This amusing picture book exudes the naiveté and enthusiasm of childhood. Digby’s optimism and the energy of his helpful friends, not to mention his indulgent mother who allows the kitchen to become a “sloppy mess“, create an atmosphere of innocence and idealism. The charming text is enhanced by the use of rhyme which helps to move along the pace of the story and maintain the reader’s interest while Anil Tortop’s colourful full page illustrations capture the joy and wonderment of childhood.
Digby’s Moon Mission is a fun-filled and imaginative story for readers in the two to seven year age group. They will be entertained by the antics of Digby and his friends in their humorous quest to help the moon regain its full size.
Reviewed by John Nolan