Poet David Kherdian received a Newbery Honor for The Road
from Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl (1979). His wife, Nonny
Hogrogian, is a two-time winner of the Caldecott Medal, first for
Always Room for One More (1966), and second for One Fine Day
(1972). She also received a Caldecott Honor for The Contest (1974).
They live in Florence, Massachusetts.
Nonny Hogrogian is a two-time winner of the Caldecott Medal, first
for Always Room for One More (1966), and second for One Fine Day
(1972). She also received a Caldecott Honor for The Contest (1974).
Her husband, poet David Kherdian, received a Newbery Honor for The
Road from Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl (1979). They live in
Florence, Massachusetts.
"Poet and Newbery Honoree Kherdian (The Road from Home: The Story
of an Armenian Girl, 1979) teams again with his wife, distinguished
two-time Caldecott-winning illustrator and author Hogrogian, for
this gentle animal fable (Lullaby for Emily, 1995, etc.)....
Hogrogian’s soft, muted watercolors, further grayed by pencil,
depict the parade of woodland creatures en route to Owl’s perch,
trailing behind Fox’s white-tipped tail.... Within plainspoken text
and dialogue, Kherdian weaves a folkloric motif—the moon’s theft
and restoration—with child-resonant tropes: mistaken judgment,
compelling curiosity and cooperation to right wrongs. Hogrogian
subtly characterizes the animals’ emotions and responses without
anthropomorphizing them unduly.... Charming."
*Kirkus Reviews, September 2013*
* "When a group of forest animals discovers that Bear has stolen
the moon—he blames its bright light for his insomnia—they hatch a
plan to get it back.... Along with the elegant economy of its
language and the quiet beauty of Hogrogian’s watercolors, which are
gently textured with pencil, one of the most striking aspects of
this ostensibly simple reverie of a story is how much its creators,
a highly honored husband-and-wife team, trust readers. They don’t
amplify the prose or pictures with visual signposts or adjectives
to tell audiences what to feel (the late Elmore Leonard would have
been proud). Instead, they let their spare, deeply resonant
storytelling reveal the quiet, instinctive determination of the
animals to set things right. The action is low-key, almost
tableau-like, and never less than compelling."
*Publishers Weekly, September 23, 2013, *STARRED REVIEW*
"Bear blames the moonlight for his sleepless nights, so he steals
it, leaving the other animals with a sense of loss. The story
builds as one by one the animals ask each other for information and
ultimately seek out Owl. Their search for answers, and then the
moon itself, is the perfect device for turning the page. The soft
watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, many within their own frame,
mirror the text’s gentleness. When the animals talk with one
another, they move more freely on pages with a white background.
The repetition of simple phrases encourages a young reader’s
participation. Storytelling and dancing conclude the story, an
inclusive and positive ending. Pair with Kitten’s First Full Moon
by Kevin Henkes (2004) for another moon celebration."
*Booklist, November 2013*
* "The Moon looms large in children’s literature: Frank Asch, Eric
Carle, Kevin Henkes, and countless others have paid homage to that
fascinating round face in the night sky. In Come Back, Moon,
Kherdian and Hogrogian have collaborated on an original story that
has the simplicity and resonance of a folktale.... Hogrogian
captures the character of each animal, mood, and scene with
disarming expertise.... Kherdian is at his poetic best, gracing the
tale with few, carefully chosen words. The artwork is beautifully
balanced and radiates personality. The combination of great talent,
elegant restraint, and exceptional creative decisions has produced
a timeless book that will still be enjoyed by the great
grandchildren of those who read it today."
*School Library Journal, November 2013, *STARRED REVIEW*
"This simple, folkloric story will easily engage young audiences,
and Kherdian’s restrained prose works well as both a group
readaloud and as a read-alone for novice readers. . . it might
especially work well as a beginning readers’ theater piece."
*The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December
2013*
"With soft, comforting illustrations and repetitive, evocative
text, this book reads like a modern version of Good Night Moon with
words which could be repeated by a child, anthropomorphic animals,
a clever mystery to solve, and a comforting ending. The story could
be turned into a play, acted out by younger children. The image of
the stolen moon glowing inside Bear's pillow is priceless. The
animals practically dance off the page when the moon is set free.
This is a story which will have primary students begging for repeat
readings."
*Library Media Connection, May/June 2014, Highly Recommended*
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