Youngsters share their views of two tales; A moonshot backyard style; Regards to the Man in the Mon, By Ezra Jack Keats. New York: Four Winds Press.
Louie's friends laugh because his pop is a junkman, but his father is wise enough to turn the situation around and make Louie the envy of the whole neighborhood, when he says, "All a person needs is some imagination."
Louie and his parents get to work, combing an old washing machine, a lenght of stove pipe, an antique clock face, and a few other odd things into the Imagination I, a pretend spaceship. Then Louie and his friend Susie blast off for an imaginary space adventure. Spying the fun, two other friends, Ruth and Zuggue, rendezvous with them in an old bathtub, and before long all other kids are eager to build spaceships from Barney's junkyard treasures.
Ezra Jack Keats is already well known for his many award-winning children's books. His bright, amusing watercolor illustrations in this picture book complement the whimsical tale.
After reading this book, children may well be inspired to launch their own backyard space adventures.
