Title: And Away We Go
Author/Illustrator: Migy
Age Group: 2-5
Synopsis: Mr. Fox is ready to fly to the moon in his balloon but a friend or ten want to come along.
The Low Down:
I can’t blame Bug for being obsessed with the moon or hot air balloons. They’re both magical in their own way. The combination, along with Mr. Fox’s happy go lucky attitude and Migy’s amusing sort of illustrations, provides a great back drop for the entire tale, And Away We Go. Presented with a distinctly vintage feel, Migy creates a world that’s not only fun but highly entertaining.
The premise for And Away We Go is not new. Mr. Fox has a hot air balloon and intends to go to the moon. However, on his way there his friends keep asking to join him and Mr. Fox keeps inviting them to jump in his basket. It doesn’t take a lot of foresight to see what’s going to happen here. Although, like any good reboot (film, book, or otherwise), Migy gives this his own twist. Because, no one I know has ever seen an elephant, a fox, a giraffe, mice, rabbits, squirrels, and a bird in a hot air balloon basket with the added danger of falling to earth. Mr. Fox doesn’t seem to worries about it all and in the end when the ropes finally snap, literally, he’s much more pleased to be among his friends. The repetitive lines of the book make it ideal for emerging readers. Easily introducing new vocab and allowing for that consistence, which can go so far to increase confidence. And while this is all so amazing, it’s really the pictures that initially drew us to the great book.
The illustrations are striking. The vibrant colors of the characters and the city really pop, against the consistently dark background of the night. The moon, an ever present goal merely seems to hang out of reach the entire time. As I previously mentioned, Migy also brings a very retro feel to the entire piece not only through color choice and and design but also by hiding fun details into every page. He even includes a cameo of the painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, quietly disguised as a milkshake diner. The entire piece is full of whimsy, imagination, and a certain flare that make it really shine.
Bug’s in love with this and spends a great deal of time pouring over the pictures, searching for the Rubik cube one of the rabbits carries or eyeing the pink milkshake, with ill-disguised hunger. I’m pleased, he enjoys it, almost as much as I am that he easily engages in improving his reading skills when we open it up.
Story Tips:
- Keep an eye on the fun store names and other great details like that rabbits and the balloon’s ropes.
I need more!
Migy has some really fun books that he’s illustrated including: Here Comes the Sun, Who Wants to be a Princess?, and Cinderella’s Sister and the Big Bad Wolf. I haven’t seen anything of his before but head on over to his website to see more: http://www.migy.com/
Add to my library:
