for reading aloud. This fully illustrated introductory book offers young children information about the moon: its orbit and phases, its place in solar and lunar eclipses, its effect on Earth's oceans, moon exploration, and the legends the moon has inspired in various cultures. Written clearly yet without too much detail, the text moves along quickly. The pictures and diagrams deserve study, as they help readers visualize such concepts as how the moon moves in relation to the earth and the sun and why it seems to change shape. Gibbons uses a spacious format to vary page layout, presenting each facet of the moon's story with a large illustration or a series of smaller ones. Her colorful pictures of people observing the moon seem all the more brilliant against backgrounds of midnight blue. A fine resource for school and public library collections. (Reviewed May 1, 1997)

Gibbons presents a great deal of information in a deceptively simple format by combining inviting illustrations with clear writing. The concise text covers lunar phases, eclipses, tides, and a brief history of lunar exploration. The illustrations offer effective and accessible depictions of the phases of the moon and eclipse geometry.

K-Gr 2--A pleasing tale about identity and acceptance, based on a story by Vladimir Grigorievich Suteev. Goose envies the other birds and bullies them into giving her their best body parts. She takes Swan's neck, Pelican's beak, Peacock's tail, and more until she believes she is the finest bird of all. It doesn't take long, however, for Goose to realize that her new fanciful combination isn't very practical. Pelican's beak is not appropriate for eating grass, and Stork's legs prohibit swimming in shallow water. Worst of all, Peacock's tail prevents her from flying when Fox comes around. Despite her vanity, the other geese save her. She has learned her lesson and returns all of the mismatched parts. The bold acrylic and watercolor illustrations highlight the absurdity of appearance and the excesses of pride. The presentation certainly has nonsensical elements, but the story's message is a worthwhile and important one for youngsters to hear.--Christy Norris, Valley Cottage Library, NY