A Fort on the Moon

Tan-skinned brothers Dodge and Fox are planning an out-of-this-world construction project--younger sibling Dodge, the narrator, calls it "a home on the moon for all brave enough to use." Employing a broken umbrella, a pool noodle, two car seats, and other discards, they construct a spaceship on their home's widow's walk and head off on a lunar mission. Plainspoken lines detail the journey winningly ("Moondust sticks to everything. We're low on tape"), but, in this tribute to intimate sibling relationships, the imaginative adventure is almost beside the point. Watercolor and gouache pictures by Day (Found) have an immediacy that matches the brothers' confidence and unalloyed affection. Pouncey, making her picture book debut, contributes an astute, tender portrayal of the siblings' bond; Dodge adores and is comforted by his older brother, and together the two present a unified front against parents who are beloved but (at least in the children's eyes) clueless. "We lie in our beds, as still as moon craters," Dodge says, as the two wait to make their secret journey, "till we no longer hear our parents' soft voices and the ribbon of light beneath our door disappears into darkness." Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Illustrator's agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Nov.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-4--Pouncey depicts an activity that many a kid has dreamed of, traveling to the moon. Readers ride along on an adventure with Fox Wilder and his younger brother, who narrates in a matter-of-fact voice. They plan to build a fort on the moon. It's a confident plan; they have already been there but this time their trusty spaceship, the White Dolphin, is equipped with junk from home and they have devised a layout. There are some tricks required for building on the moon, but thanks to Fox, the siblings succeed and have fun along the way. All the while, their parents offer encouragement, are fully on board with the plan, and get out of the way of the adventurers. The teamwork of the brothers and the creativity and fun they have through the story will entertain readers; it's just the right amount of silly to make kids laugh but has enough substance to lead to adventures of their own. VERDICT With the help of Day's illustrations, which depict the father, mother, and two boys as having light brown skin, Pouncey's story will inspire many kids to imagine building their own path to the moon.--David Roberts, Salem P.L., OH

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The illustrations' blend of realism and fantasy may prove irresistible enough to some children that they may even need to be warned against taking the imaginative trip too literally and attempting a launch of their own. Great fun.—Booklist

Day's illustrations ('pencil, pen, and ink with watercolor and gouache'), starring a family with subtly varying skin tones, skillfully alternate spot art, panels, single pages, and double-page spreads. An appealingly textured warm blue serves as stand-in for the inky darkness of night and outer space—fitting the narrative's upbeat spirit. —The Horn Book

A Fort on the Moon is filled with authentic—never patronizing—details that capture how children perceive the world. . . . Children will delight at the boys' lunar antics and may even be touched by the brotherly bonding that occurs when Dodge realizes that, if it weren't for his brother, he would have given up. A Fort on the Moon marries art and story for a combination that's truly out of this world.—BookPage

There's lots of warm, child-friendly character . . . the luscious watercolors that capture snug domestic scenes, the frantic, tumultuous fort-building sequence, and, most especially, the sweeping double-page spreads of the velvety, star-filled night sky are worth a look. —Kirkus Reviews

Pouncey pitches this at an audience just beginning to negotiate unreliable narrators and trickster authors, with a narrative that could supply a sophisticated reading that attributes the boys' activities to imagination or dreams yet requires reconsideration when Mom mentions that the junk stored on the roof has gone missing. Day encourages this head scratching with lively mixed media artwork that revels in the cobbled-together spaceship and fort—wondrously inviting to build and to occupy—immersing viewers in make-believe play as prelude to Pouncey's reveal that this might all have been the real deal.—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books