I Want to Go to the Moon [Hardcover]

CM Review:
 
The moon fascinates young Neil. In fact, he’s so taken by it that he wants to walk on its very surface. Although everyone around him says it’s impossible, Neil’s determination remains unwavering. Thus, begins Neil’s lifelong journey to achieve his one and only dream.

Cynthia Nugent’s watercolour illustrations are delightfully soft. The air of whimsy that she is able to depict echoes the innocence of a young child’s dream. Nugent’s artistic expertise becomes evident as she mirrors Neil’s progress with illustrations that are both deeper and richer in colour. The sense of wonder she infuses throughout culminates in an epic double-page spread.

Tom Saunders’ I Want to Go to the Moon chronicles Neil Armstrong’s historic journey to the moon. Saunders’ use of rhyming couplets brilliantly lightens the disappointment Neil is inevitably forced to endure. Though the story could benefit from being shortened, its message to young readers is truly inspiring. I Want to Go to the Moon is for any child who dares to dream big.

Winnipeg Free Press:
 
For all would-be astronauts, the story of Neil Armstrong, I Want to Go to the Moon by Tom Saunders (Simply Read books, 32 pages, $19) will be inspirational.
Based on the lyrics of Saunders' song (which is included in the book as a CD), it describes how Armstrong wanted to go to the moon from the time he was very young. He faced many obstacles and many skeptics before he realized his dream. Both the author and illustrator, Cynthia Nugent, live in the Vancouver area.

Tom Saunders lives near Vancouver, BC, and wrote his first song at age 11, an ode to his guinea pig. He works in the television industry as a camera operator, and he is a musician, having written music for theatre & TV, including the opening theme songs for CTV's "Robson Arms." He plays several different instruments, and likes to laugh, sing and build things. This is the first time he has written a book, although he didn't know he was writing a book until long after he'd written it.


Cynthia Nugent is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator whose first book, "Mister Got to Go", is now considered a Canadian classic. Stephen Hume wrote in the Vancouver Sun that she is "one of the best illustrators in North America." Her 2004 novel Francesca and the Magic Bike received rave reviews and numerous award nominations. Quill and Quire called the book a "marvellously comic, wise, and tender novel" and praised Nugent's "wry, warm sense of humour and keen-eyed affection for human nature, foibles and all." As well, the reviewer calls the book a "delicate alchemy of tragedy, comedy, fantasy, and adventure" that Nugent pulls off "wonderfully and artfully." It was shortlisted for the B.C. Book Prizes, the Chocolate Lily, and the Young Readers Choice Awards in B.C., Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Cynthia has a B.A. (cum laude) in English literature with graduate studies in Comparative Literature. She has been profiled in print and on radio and television, and is a much-requested visitor to schools and libraries for her lively presentations on the making of a children's book. She has acted as judge for literary prizes and teaches Writing Children's Fiction and Writing Picture Books at Vancouver's Langara College. She belongs to the Children's Writers and Illustrators Association of BC, The Writers Union of Canada, and the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable.
Cynthia lives in Vancouver with Emma the Yorkshire terrier who was the model for Arnie in Mister Got to Go and Arnie. She enjoys plunking on her ukulele at the Vancouver Ukulele Circle.  Upcoming titles include Mister Got to Go, Where are you? by Lois Simmie (Orca 2010), and chapter book Kiddo (Tradewind Books, 2010). Simply Read will be publishing The Ducks of Nitobe Garden and I Want to Go to the Moon by Tom Saunders.
For more information visit http://www.cynthianugent.com/