About This Book
Reach for this book when your child seems stuck on a problem or is struggling with a rigid way of thinking. It is a timeless resource for moments when logic alone fails to soothe a child's big feelings or imaginative desires. Through the story of Princess Lenore, who believes she needs the moon to get well, parents can explore how the world is often exactly what we perceive it to be. The story follows a king and his advisors who fail to solve the princess's problem because they view the moon through a literal, adult lens (as a giant rock thousands of miles away). It is the court jester who saves the day by simply asking the child what the moon is to her. This gentle, humorous fairy tale celebrates child-centered logic and the power of empathy, making it a perfect choice for children ages 4 to 8 who are navigating their own unique perspectives on the world.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
None. While the princess is ill at the start of the book, it is depicted as a stomachache from eating too many sweets and is handled with a light, whimsical tone.
Ideal Reader
A thoughtful 6-year-old who enjoys wordplay and fairy tales, or a child who often feels misunderstood by the 'logical' explanations of adults.
Parent Prep
This book can be read cold. It is a fantastic read-aloud due to the repetitive, rhythmic lists of the advisors' previous accomplishments. A parent might choose this after realizing they have been over-explaining a situation to their child when the child really just needed to be heard or comforted.
Age Experience
Younger children (4-5) will take the magic at face value and delight in the Jester's kindness. Older children (7-8) will appreciate the satire of the 'wise men' who are actually quite foolish and will enjoy the philosophical twist about perspective.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many fairy tales where a hero must perform a physical feat, this story's climax is purely intellectual and empathetic. It shifts the power from the 'experts' to the child and the Jester, celebrating emotional intelligence over raw data.
Read plot summary
Princess Lenore falls ill after eating too many raspberry tarts and declares she will only recover if she has the moon. The King summons his Royal Wizard, Mathematician, and Chamberlain, all of whom offer complex, scientific reasons why the moon (which they claim is made of copper or cheese and is millions of miles wide) cannot be caught. The Court Jester realizes the experts are looking at the problem the wrong way. He asks Lenore what she thinks the moon is. When she describes it as a golden ornament the size of her thumbnail, the Jester has a goldsmith create exactly that. The story concludes with a second challenge: explaining why the real moon still shines in the sky. Again, the Jester lets Lenore’s own imaginative logic provide the answer.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The King's wise men all described the moon differently. Why do you think they couldn't agree on how big it was or what it was made of?
2
The Jester was the only one who thought to ask Princess Lenore what SHE thought the moon was. How did that change the way he solved the problem?
3
Princess Lenore explains why the moon is still in the sky even though she is wearing it around her neck. Can you think of other things that 'grow back' or stay even when we take a piece, like a tooth or a flower?
4
If someone asked you to catch the moon for them, how would you do it using your imagination?
