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| ©2005 Red Cygnet Press • All Rights Reserved • San Diego • California info@redcygnet.com |
amazon.com
Book Buds Kidlit Reviews, February 07, 2008
reviewed by Ilene Goldman
Swept Away
The Moon and the Night Sweeper makes a great first impression. On the cover, a young
boy in his bed shirt and a man who looks like a happy chimney sweep dance across a
rooftop with brooms, watched by a gleeful man in the moon. You can just hear them
humming a jolly tune. Even Philippe, who usually ignores the children’s books on my desk,
stopped to read this one.
This delightful rhyming tale imagines that every night after we’re asleep, twinkling stars
litter the earth with stardust. Sometime in the glimmering moments before dawn:
“The Moon calls to the / Night Sweeper….. /To clean off the buildings / so they look
neat and kept, / For the dust covers rooftops / and needs to be swept.”
We don’t see this happen unless, of course, we wake up at just the right moment. Then
we’ll hear the music and we might even be invited to join the ritual. The little boy on the
cover is lucky enough to hear the call. The Moon invites him “Up to the roof on my /
magic moonbeams you’ll soar / Where the Night Sweeper completes /His one nightly
chore.”
There the boy dances and sings and sweeps, sliding back into his bed when the last of the
stardust is swept.
Kemble’s illustrations are big and bold, accentuating her words so perfectly it is hard to
imagine one without the other. She dares to leave two-page spreads wordless or nearly
so, letting the smiles on the little boy’s face exclaim his glee at flying out to join the
Night Sweeper. Her whites seem to sparkle like star dust, so perfectly are they
contrasted with the other colors.
Red Cygnet Press works with university art departments to locate students and then
work with the student to develop a book. The concept is pioneering in a publishing
segment that is notoriously hard to break into. The results, so far, are mixed. The Moon
and the Night Sweeper tops the list for me so far. It fulfills the promise made by its
cover. I want to read it again and again.
And the cover really does glow in the dark!
Rating: *\*\*\*\
Foreword Magazine, November/December 2007
Calming a child’s fears before sleep can sometimes be a difficult task; reading the right
book beforehand could be the solution. Kemble’s rhyming, rhythmic picture book will
take children on a safe and calming adventure before they close their eyes for the night.
“It’s the Moon’s voice you hear: ‘There is nothing at all for a young lad to fear. It’s my
special magic that will sweep stardust clear!’” These reassuring stanzas create a feeling of
floating through out the pages.
The story leads a young boy from his bed into the world of Night Sweepers whose job
it is to clear away all the star dust from the roof tops. They sweep, float and tap dance
their way through the night until he is safely back in bed. “All gone is the stardust, and
your sweeping’s complete.”
Kemble’s watercolor illustrations are painted in rich, deep tones. The young boy’s large
blue eyes reflect his excitement and wonder. The bright, white, ever smiling moon is jolly
and gentle. The twinkle in his eye is matched by the twinkle of stars that touch nearly
every page. The special glow-in-the-dark cover can sit on the bedside table and be
watched as eyelids grow heavy and dreams begin.
The author received her degree in illustration at California State University, Long
Beach.The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators recognized her talent by
naming her winner of their illustration contest in July 2006 for “Crusin.” (September)
Booklist, November 2007
Using ink and watercolors, Kemble embues her characters with personality. She ably
captures the mystery of the night, and the scene of a boy and the old man dancing
among the stars makes for a lovely two-page spread. Pair this with Maurice Sendak’s
classic In the Night Kitchen.
Author/Illustrator Links:
www.maiskemble.blogspot.com
Book Buds Kidlit Reviews, February 07, 2008
reviewed by Ilene Goldman
Swept Away
The Moon and the Night Sweeper makes a great first impression. On the cover, a young
boy in his bed shirt and a man who looks like a happy chimney sweep dance across a
rooftop with brooms, watched by a gleeful man in the moon. You can just hear them
humming a jolly tune. Even Philippe, who usually ignores the children’s books on my desk,
stopped to read this one.
This delightful rhyming tale imagines that every night after we’re asleep, twinkling stars
litter the earth with stardust. Sometime in the glimmering moments before dawn:
“The Moon calls to the / Night Sweeper….. /To clean off the buildings / so they look
neat and kept, / For the dust covers rooftops / and needs to be swept.”
We don’t see this happen unless, of course, we wake up at just the right moment. Then
we’ll hear the music and we might even be invited to join the ritual. The little boy on the
cover is lucky enough to hear the call. The Moon invites him “Up to the roof on my /
magic moonbeams you’ll soar / Where the Night Sweeper completes /His one nightly
chore.”
There the boy dances and sings and sweeps, sliding back into his bed when the last of the
stardust is swept.
Kemble’s illustrations are big and bold, accentuating her words so perfectly it is hard to
imagine one without the other. She dares to leave two-page spreads wordless or nearly
so, letting the smiles on the little boy’s face exclaim his glee at flying out to join the
Night Sweeper. Her whites seem to sparkle like star dust, so perfectly are they
contrasted with the other colors.
Red Cygnet Press works with university art departments to locate students and then
work with the student to develop a book. The concept is pioneering in a publishing
segment that is notoriously hard to break into. The results, so far, are mixed. The Moon
and the Night Sweeper tops the list for me so far. It fulfills the promise made by its
cover. I want to read it again and again.
And the cover really does glow in the dark!
Rating: *\*\*\*\
Foreword Magazine, November/December 2007
Calming a child’s fears before sleep can sometimes be a difficult task; reading the right
book beforehand could be the solution. Kemble’s rhyming, rhythmic picture book will
take children on a safe and calming adventure before they close their eyes for the night.
“It’s the Moon’s voice you hear: ‘There is nothing at all for a young lad to fear. It’s my
special magic that will sweep stardust clear!’” These reassuring stanzas create a feeling of
floating through out the pages.
The story leads a young boy from his bed into the world of Night Sweepers whose job
it is to clear away all the star dust from the roof tops. They sweep, float and tap dance
their way through the night until he is safely back in bed. “All gone is the stardust, and
your sweeping’s complete.”
Kemble’s watercolor illustrations are painted in rich, deep tones. The young boy’s large
blue eyes reflect his excitement and wonder. The bright, white, ever smiling moon is jolly
and gentle. The twinkle in his eye is matched by the twinkle of stars that touch nearly
every page. The special glow-in-the-dark cover can sit on the bedside table and be
watched as eyelids grow heavy and dreams begin.
The author received her degree in illustration at California State University, Long
Beach.The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators recognized her talent by
naming her winner of their illustration contest in July 2006 for “Crusin.” (September)
Booklist, November 2007
Using ink and watercolors, Kemble embues her characters with personality. She ably
captures the mystery of the night, and the scene of a boy and the old man dancing
among the stars makes for a lovely two-page spread. Pair this with Maurice Sendak’s
classic In the Night Kitchen.
Author/Illustrator Links:
www.maiskemble.blogspot.com
