Sing to the Moon

What would you wish for? And if you did have a wish, could it come true? ‘Sing to the moon’, says Jjajja – Grandad – and maybe it will happen. This is the invitation to think up all the wishes that one might want – perhaps sailing to Zanzibar or flying up into the sky. But reality is a wet gloomy day. Nothing exciting or colourful can happen. Or can it?

This is a lovely picture book at whose heart is a very particular relationship, that between a grandparent (here the grandfather) and grandchild. It is also about the imagination. It is so easy to allow boredom to take over – but within the home there is the potential for adventure especially when you have the stories that Grandad can tell about his childhood. The text weaves its way across the page – just as thoughts would weave through the mind – and bringing the words to life are the illustrations from Sandra van Doorn. Her gentle colours and expansive designs filling each double spread emphasise the relationship between the two characters. The setting is Uganda and both author and illustrator take us there. There is never any doubt – and yet there is nothing unfamiliar, just different. A picture book can really take its young audience anywhere, and this enchanting book certainly does that. Let us hope for more from this talented partnership.