Fonchito and The Moon
Description
“Dreamy illustrations and moody palettes play with the contrast of light and shadow in this sweet tale about first loves and childhood imagination.”
Don't miss your first Mario Vargas Llosa: Fonchito and the Moon.
Fonchito falls in love for the very first time and discovers that there is nothing one cannot do for a loved one, even if what they wish for is the moon!
Fonchito is a little boy with his heart set on winning the affection of his classmate Nereida. She is beautiful, and all he hopes for is her permission to kiss her on the cheek. But she is shy and agrees under only one condition: that Fonchito bring the moon to her. Bring her the moon? What is Fonchito to do? And in that moment his love inspires him to find a way to do the impossible.
This first children’s book by Mario Vargas Llosa, one of the world’s greatest writers, is an enchanting story about the magic in discovering how high you can reach for those you love, even if they ask for the moon.
Praise for Fonchito and The Moon
Fonchito is a little boy with a big crush. The object of his affection, a beauty named Nereida, tells him that she will only let him kiss her if he brings her the Moon. The whimsical, full-spread illustrations are rendered in a subdued palette of slate blues, sea-glass greens, and glowing amber. The story takes place in Lima, Peru, where Fonchito notes that it is especially difficult to see the Moon because the sky is often cloudy. With love, however, all things are possible. When out on his terrace, he makes an amazing discovery. The next day he asks Nereida when he can come to her house to show her the Moon, and she invites him over on the night her father goes to the club and her mother has friends over to play bridge. When Fonchito takes Nereida out on her terrace and presents her with a big bucket of water with the Moon's reflection, she is thrilled beyond words, and she presents her face for him to kiss. The last illustration is especially playful because the handle to the bucket forms a smile and little hearts pop out of the water. The endpapers feature childlike drawings of stars hanging from strings shining down on a line of potted geraniums. This ethereal picture book is an excellent way to introduce young readers to the lyricism of Vargas Llosa"—on the Spanish language edition. Gr 1—3
— Rebecca Hickman, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL - School Library Journal
Heavenly bodies are all well and good, but this tale of permission asked and granted is worth more than the moon.
— Kirkus Review
A very sweet story. It’s very romantic. It’s lovely.
— Christiane Amanpour - CNN
An inspirational story for children, focusing on finding a way to achieve the impossible and the merits of not giving up, the illustrations … are bright and colorful and brilliantly bring the story to life.
— SA Examiner