by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 08, 2010

It's a good old-fashioned story about a boy who builds a rocketship that he flies to the moon. But it's also a story about a boy who wants a dog. In fact, they're skillfully combined in this fun story by author-illustrator Daniel Kirk. When young Will is offered a pet dog by his parents, Will announces that he's rather have something even more special.

"I'd like to get a moondog - that's the perfect pet for me.

I watch them through my telescope. They're really, I guarantee!"

The name of the book is "Moondogs," and it delivers on its exciting premise. Will visits his family's garage - armed with a screwdriver and a book called "How to Build a  Spaceship" - and soon he's constructed a rocket that really works. ("Moonward ho!" Will announces hopefully.) There's a great drawing of the ship swoop over the town below, as a bright-eyed Will jiggles the ship's controls. But ironically, there's a surprise waiting for him as he turns to the back of rocketship to enjoy a mid-flight snack - one of the neighborhood's stray dogs!

Daniel Kirk has written several childrens books, and he seems to enjoy writing about animals. (Besides "Dog's Rule", there's also "Cat Power" and "The Library Mouse".) But judging by this book, he also seems to enjoy writing about the moon. Kirk fills its inside covers with close-up drawings of the glowing lunar surface. And he even uses a drawing of the moon to replace the book's first letter - the "O" in a sentence about young Will's skygazing "On a clear and pleasant evening in the early part of June..."

And the moon allows Kirk to indulge in some very creative illustration. As the boy lands his rocketship, they're surrounded by a pack of strange moon dogs, drawn in orange, purple, gree, and blue.  One has tiger stripes, one has three eyes, and there's even a dog with antlers. Will announces his arrival to the crowd of moondogs below him - which allows Kirk to draw a couple dozen more! There's a one-eyed dog, and a dog with three heads. But they all run when a giant moon ogre attacks! (He's even got moon-colored skin!)  That is, all except the scrappy stowaway...

The story is fun, and the illustrations do it justice - but on top of all that, it rhymes! "What courage! all the moondogs crooned, "Forgive us if we're wrong, but Will, the pet you ought to have was with you all along!"

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