Man on the Moon: a day in the life of Bob

Bob is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job. He gets up and has his breakfast and cycles off to work just like you or I might. It’s even important that he gets to work for nine. But there the resemblance finishes, for Bob’s job is to be the Man on the Moon. He keeps it clean and tidy and entertains passing tourist spaceships by doing handstands.

The fun of Simon Bartram’s big, handsome picture book depends on the juxtaposition of the mundane and the extraordinary, and the clever interplay of text and picture. Bob knows there are no such things as aliens but readers may know more than he does. Bartram’s bold, vivid illustrations draw on the iconography of 1950s’ comic strips, where the conservatism of everyday life is invaded by dreams of space travel and visitors from other planets. This is Eagle meets The Truman Show. Before donning his space suit, Bob is a square jawed hero in a sleeveless pullover. Among the aliens he inadvertently brings to earth, you may glimpse one who has a striking resemblance to Ronald Reagan. Bartram knows his picture book illustrators, and the equally knowing reader will notice references to Anthony Browne. But this is much more than a retro-style homage, it is a book with graphic skill and child appeal that is a sheer pleasure to handle and look at. It may announce the arrival of a new talent among picture book creators.