Rino Alaimo, The Boy Who Loved the Moon, Exisle Publishing, 28 September 2015, 32pp., $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 939629 76 0
This picture book is an adaptation of the author’s short award winning film of the same name, in which a young boy’s heart is captured by the moon. He offers her gifts, each one becoming more precious. She refuses and the boy is warned by the man in the tower not to try as many have failed. But the boy does not give up and eventually wins the moon’s heart.
The double page glossy illustrations are in a rich yellowy-gold colour on a dark background. This changes dramatically when the boy offers his last gift and wins the moon’s heart.
This book can take many different readings, from a fairytale perspective to a love story. The film has a more specific ending than that of the picture book, enabling the picture book to be more diverse.
The possibilities for uses of this book are many, such as art stimulation, intertextual studies with fairytales, study of the lunar cycle, and the importance of perseverance and patience. The film offers more possibilities with students making their own films from their stories. Students of visual literacy will enjoy the dramatic use of colour, medium and viewpoint.
This is a superb picture book, highly recommended for a wide audience, young and old. The film is also a must, and can be viewed at Vimeo.
Reviewed by Liz Derouet