Back cover has the silhouettes of Dorothy and Ozma with a sunburst in the back. Caption and numeral are present on page 129. First page is the half title page with black and white illustrations. Pasted end pages are black and white illustrations with large red OZ in the center. A wise tale of a little princess who wanted the moon and got it. The free end pages are missing front and back. James Thurber, Louis Slobodkin (Illustrator) 4.11. Fading has occurred to the colored pages. Pages are gray, light blue, salmon, tan, light green, and tan. Light green cloth covered boards with dark green, brown, and red illustration on the cover. First edition with the correct points listed by Hanff. The following points have been verified: O in Ozma is present on page 11. Parts of the beginning pages are missing and have been repaired. First edition points have been checked with Greene, Hanff. Spine has been repaired with black cloth tape. Tan cloth covered boards with black text and red, yellow, and blue illustration. Book is only in acceptable condition, but is a first edition. Resources/Activities: Read and compare another great PB about pleasing a princess, like Clever Jack Takes the Cake, by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G.Chicago, The Reilly and Britton Company, 1907 Click here for a peek at Slobodkin’s illustrations. Why I like this Book: So clever and delightful, I cannot believe, after reading at least 3,500 picture books this year alone, it has taken me so long to find this gem! This really celebrates the intelligence and creativity of children! The original edition of Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin and beloved by so many, remains in print alongside this newly illustrated version.

Summary: Princess Lenore asks her doting father for the moon: “If I can have the moon, I will be well again.” After his wise consultants cannot help him, the King finally calls on his lowly but clever Jester to help solve the problem. One day Lenore fell ill of a surfeit of raspberry tarts and took to her bed. Opening: Once upon a time, in a kingdom by the sea, there lived a little princess named Lenore. The small black-and-white illustrations offer understated yet poignant depictions of the characters.

Themes: princess, moon, cleverness, imagination of James Thurbers Many Moons (Harcourt, 1943).

Many moons by james thurber summary