The Princess and the Moon by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

When the Great Rabbit carries the ill-tempered Sophie off to the moon she comes to understand that to be treated like a princess 

she must look for the best in other people and herself.

I discovered this book, which is from 1991, in a school library. The Teacher-Librarian has decided this book no longer fits her collection or the reading interests of her very young students and I totally agree. BUT this book is illustrated by the wonderful Brian Wildsmith so I just had to bring it home to read.

So I am only talking about this book because I love the art - I don't think I would have ever shared this book with a young reading companion or any group in my school library. As Kirkus say:

An unabashedly didactic story by the Japanese author of The Cherry Tree (p. 466), with a heavy-handed message made remarkably palatable by English adaptor Geraldine McCaughrean's lyrical text and Wildsmith's gorgeous illustrations. ... Dutifully accepting the lesson, the child returns to earth ready to smile and be kind. The reformation may be too easy, but the point is still valid; and no one should forgo Wildsmith's delectable art with its delicately glowing colors and wonderfully imaginative juxtapositions of harmonious images.

Here is the blurb if you are curious:

Sophie, a bad-tempered and unhappy child, changes her view of the world when the Great Moon Rabbit carries her to the moon, where she learns to look for the good in people and thereby feel happier herself.

The Japanese author of The Princess and the Moon is Daisaku Ikeda. Daisaku Ikeda was a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder, educator, author and poet. He was the third president of the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist organization and the founding president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), which is today one of the world's largest and most diverse lay Buddhist organizations, promoting a philosophy of character development and social engagement for peace. ... Ikeda was a prolific writer who has published more than 100 works, ranging from Buddhist philosophy to biographical essays, poetry, children's stories and photographic collections.

Now for the art (images source Brian Wildsmith)

Never Let Go by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Jason Cockroft

"In the whole of realm of Fairyland and in the all the sunlit world there was no man so handsome as Tamlin. He could have captured the heart of any princess with his golden hair and ready smile. So many wondered why he chose Janet for his sweetheart. Plain Janet."

Tamlin is seen by the Fairy Queen. She entices him into her world and takes away his freedom. Janet travels to the edge of fairyland determined to set her true love free. 

"What did she see that Hallowe'en? Bats and back cats, and a skeleton dancing in the wild. She saw gravestone heave and the moss crawl, heard banshee laughter drifting on the wind."

The Fairy Queen rides past with her entourage and among them she sees her Tamlin. 

"But when a milk-white mare, crossed the moonlit crossroads, she leapt at once from her hiding place and seized his fine wool cloak ..."

There is no way the queen will give up her prize and so she conjures up all sorts of horrors - Tamlin turns into a giant scaly lizard, a thick enormous snake, a violent raging bear, a lion, a horse that tosses her high into the air, then a wolf, a boar and an eagle. 

"But she did not loose her grip whether her fingers clung to tusks or antennae, pincers or curling horns."

The final transformation is possibly the most horrible of all. The Fairy Queen turns Tamlin into a red-hot iron bar but Janet does not let go. Finally, the night ends and Janet is left holding her handsome true love. 

This book was published in 1998 so it is long out of print but the copy I found in a school library is still in good condition and I think deserves a place on the library shelves. The illustrations are scrumptious and the bravery of Janet is simply amazing. I would read this book to a group of older students - they are sure to enjoy all the slightly scary elements and the wonderful happy ending along with the messages of perseverance, determination and courage. 

Bookseller blurb: On the eve of his wedding, handsome Tamlin is stolen away by the Fairy Queen into the cruel, enchanted land of the Fairies where the ground runs red with blood. Tamlin's brave love, Janet, determines to win him back - but first she must find him. Then she must never let him go, come what may, or Tamlin will be gone forever.

I found this book when I was helping my friend with her library stock take (inventory). The cover caught my eye and so did the author name. Here are some other books by Geraldine McCaughrean and books illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.

Room for a little one

Tamburlaine's Elephants by Geraldine McCaughrean

Rusti travels with the Mongol Horde as it sweeps over the land, crushing whole cities in a quest for power. 

"The tajiks of India did not stand a chance against Timur the Lame, Conqueror of the World. ... the Horde travelled by moonlight, storming towns and citadels by day, slaughtering thousands and taking prisoners by the tens of thousands."

Now they have arrived in Delhi. Rusti is only twelve but today he will ride out with the army.  What no one expects it that this city will be defended with elephants. Tamburlaine's army do win the battle and then they loot Delhi and murder most of the inhabitants. They took away some of the remaining elephants and this is the basis of this story. Britannica list this as 90 elephants.

In this retelling by Geraldine McCaughrean, Rusti is ordered by Tamburlaine to bring him an elephant. Rusti meets the mahout or elephant handler Kavi, Rusti spares his life and together they march with the army onto Samarkand. Kavi has to be disguised as a girl slave and renamed Kavita. There is one person, however, who knows the truth - Shidurghu, the Royal Chronicler, writer-down of History for the Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction. Rusti is summoned to Shidurghu's tent and he is told a shocking story of women and children locked in a makeshift tower, of a baby and a bracelet thrust through the bars by a desperate mother, and most shocking of all Rusti begins to realise everything he knows about his father and brother are untrue.

This story is based on a real man who set out to conqueror Persia, Northern India, the Ottomans and China. His name was Timur i Lang (1336-1404). Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people, amounting to about 5% of the world population at the time. In a play by Christopher Marlow, which inspired Geraldine McGaughrean, he is known as Tamburlaine the Great and that is the name used in this book along with terms such as Great Emir, Gungal Emir, and The Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction. His goal was a restoration of Genghis Khan’s great Mongol Empire. Timur was injured by arrows while stealing sheep in his twenties, and this left him lame in the right leg and caused his right arm to be stiff for the rest of his life. Hence, his Persian name, Timur-i lang (Temur the Lame).

Once again this multi-award-winning author brings history to life by combining meticulous research with a focus on the individual and a very personal story. Set in the war-ravaged arena of fourteenth century India, this fascinating tale will give youngsters a real insight into a way of life which is so very different from our own. Book Trust

The truths Rusti learns are eternal: love, truth, peace; respect for others who are different, for animals, for life. On the surface, this is an epic tale of man’s inhumanity to man, but it is redeemed by the small acts of courage and kindness through which humanity shines. Historical Novel Society

From the cover you might think this is a book for an upper primary reader but there is so much dreadful (but necessary) violence I am going to say this book is for ages 12+ and also add a warning there are some very distressing scenes of battles and harm to animals. Tamburlaine's elephants was first published in 2007 and so sadly it is out of print but I found a copy at a charity book sale. 

Take a look at my review of The Kite Rider also by Geraldine McCaughrean.

On a completely different note, I was so excited to read, in the back notes, that Geraldine McCaughrean loves the junior novel Jeremiah in the dark woods by Allan Ahlberg. She says: I think (this book) ... is literally 'perfect' - not a word wrong, not a comma out of place."

The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean

Friday Old Favourite

In ancient China superstitions are part of every day life. The gods might be watching you and so it is important to be careful. For example Haoyou wears a "brass collar his mother had put round his neck (it) was supposed to fool the gods into thinking he was a dog not worth picking on."

Haoyou lives on the coast. Traders fill their ships with goods to sell across the sea. It is important to know a voyage will go well so they use kites to test the wind but these are not ordinary kites. Haoyou sees his own father tethered to the kite.

"With a noisy rattle, the wind-tester shed gravity and rose into the air on a gust of wind, tautening the rope. ... his father plunged towards him face-first, eyeballs straining their lids, arms spread wide, head and shoulders buckled outwards from the hurdle."  "Somewhere during the flight, his heart, over crammed with fear, had burst like a sack of grain and his spirit had been spilled into the path of the prevailing easterly winds."

Why has this happened? The evil Di Chou wants to marry Haoyou's beloved and beautiful mother. Di Chou truly is the murderer but no one will believe a young boy such as Haoyou. He is determined to keep his mother safe and his cousin, the wise Mipeng, agrees to help. What follows is a wild romp involving a kidnapping, a circus, a meeting with the great Kublai Khan and numerous thrilling, dangerous and heart-stopping flights for Haoyou himself.

Fast-paced and densely plotted, absorbing, and at times even hilarious. Kirkus Star review

I first read The Kite Rider in 2001 and the images in this story lingered with me so strongly that I longed to read it again. I even purchased a brand new copy because I wanted to add this book to my own ever expanding shelves. Listen to an audio sample here from Chapter One. Take a look here to see the vast number of children's books by Geraldine McCaughrean. I have a plan to re-read another of her past titles - Pack of Lies.

Here are some past cover designs.  If you used this book with a senior primary class it would be great to talk about the power of covers, to discuss the decisions made by book designers, and to think about how much to reveal through a cover. I do like the newest cover above designed by Melissa Castrillion. You can see some of her work in the book Kind. She also did the cover for A pinch of Magic.

You might like to follow this book with these:

A single Shard

The Kite Fighters