Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

A charming bedtime story sure to prompt sweet dreams.One "very, very hot night in the middle of summer," the moon begins to melt. Trying in vain to get to sleep, the residents of a cramped apartment building turn on their air conditioners and fans, and leave their fridges open, causing a power outage! Granny, in Apt. 503, is the only resident to have noticed the moon dripping away to nothing, and she races outside to catch the drops to mix up a frozen treat: the titular moon pops, which are icy and sweet, melt away the heat. All is finally quiet, until two rabbits come knocking at the door-they have come from the moon, which has melted away. But no worries, Granny has just the solution. 2020 Astrid Lindgren Award winner Baek draws gently on Korean folklore while keeping her feet firmly planted in the modern day, with some delicious visual texture. Dreamy illustrations are crafted from dioramas and cut-paper charcoal drawings, with a softly glowing candle-flame–colored moon and friends and neighbors who are a variety of creatures but all wearing summery human pajamas. Whimsically varied perspectives and the unusual depth of field offered by Baek's technique make for an entrancing display. Granny is a bespectacled wolf.A sweet, icy treat that will warm your heart. (Picture book. 4-6)

ALA Booklist

This modern, whimsical spin on a classic Korean folktale transports readers with eye-catching, detailed artwork and a magical story. On an extremely hot summer evening, a group of neighbors struggle to cool down to sleep. It is so hot that the moon starts melting. One of the neighbors, Granny, develops the idea to collect the moon droplets to make ice pops. The frozen treats enable the neighbors to finally get cool. Then two bunnies, fabled to live on the moon, arrive on Granny's doorstep. After the bunnies explain their home has melted, Granny must come up with another creative solution. This fantastical story is enhanced throughout by magnificent illustrations created from photographs of detailed mixed-media dioramas. The pages are filled with depth and skillful lighting. Against the nighttime setting, the moon is especially luminous. The text, while spare and small in size, is set thoughtfully, following the action in the story and illustrations. With deep imagination and creativity, Baek has brought to stunning life a piece of Korean culture.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

One "very, very hot night," the moon -- shown in the textured and creative three-dimensional collage illustrations as a glowing ball in the dark sky -- begins to melt. Granny (a bespectacled wolf) scurries from her apartment to catch the droplets in a bucket, then prepares them into frozen treats enjoyed by her neighbors. Everyone goes back to bed, newly cool and contented ("their dreams were icy and sweet"); and then two rabbits knock on Granny's door. Explaining that their home has "melted away," the creatures seek refuge and counsel. Not to worry: clever Granny comes up with a solution, one that recalls the Korean folklore upon which this well-paced, accessibly written and translated, and visually sumptuous picture book is based.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A charming bedtime story sure to prompt sweet dreams.One "very, very hot night in the middle of summer," the moon begins to melt. Trying in vain to get to sleep, the residents of a cramped apartment building turn on their air conditioners and fans, and leave their fridges open, causing a power outage! Granny, in Apt. 503, is the only resident to have noticed the moon dripping away to nothing, and she races outside to catch the drops to mix up a frozen treat: the titular moon pops, which are icy and sweet, melt away the heat. All is finally quiet, until two rabbits come knocking at the door-they have come from the moon, which has melted away. But no worries, Granny has just the solution. 2020 Astrid Lindgren Award winner Baek draws gently on Korean folklore while keeping her feet firmly planted in the modern day, with some delicious visual texture. Dreamy illustrations are crafted from dioramas and cut-paper charcoal drawings, with a softly glowing candle-flame–colored moon and friends and neighbors who are a variety of creatures but all wearing summery human pajamas. Whimsically varied perspectives and the unusual depth of field offered by Baek's technique make for an entrancing display. Granny is a bespectacled wolf.A sweet, icy treat that will warm your heart. (Picture book. 4-6)

School Library Journal (Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

PreS-Gr 2 On an oppressively hot summer night, the moon began to melt. Granny sees the drops falling and runs out to catch the melting moon in a bucket. She has an idea to mix the moon drops into sweet frozen treats, but sets a few drops aside. Since everyone in Granny's apartment building has run their fans and air conditioners on high and opened refrigerator doors to cool, the power fails, and the only light comes from Granny's apartment. The pajama-clad animals who are her neighbors come to her door and are treated to frozen Moon Pops, which cool and delight them; the heat dissipates, and all are able to sleep. Granny's rest is interrupted by two strange rabbits who come looking for their home, the moon. Once more Granny finds the solution, using the reserved drops to grow the moon back. Baek's modern treatment of the familiar folktale about rabbits on the moon is illustrated with intricate mixed-media shadow boxes, and her use of actual objects and mixed collage lends a realism and depth to the apartments where the neighbors live; the moon and its products fairly glow on black pages and against the creatures' faces. VERDICT Perfect for a bedtime story on a hot summer night, this entertaining tale offers much to be discovered on multiple readings; a strong title to share widely at story hours. MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY