The Moon Jumpers

A sparse, haunting text interleaved with seven double pages of Sendak's crepuscular paintings present a vivid description of the rise of a full moon and of the awe and joy this arouses in a family of young children. The story is told in brief, tersely poetic sentences, using an incantatory historic present. The pictures convey exhilaration, enhantment, a tinge of danger and a resigned return to bed. This is a simple, exciting and reassuring book.