This reillustrated classic comes stylishly dressed in Marc Simont's watercolors, which sweep across the pages. The jester leaps into the king's presence, the king eloquently frowns at the royal mathematician's swarm of equations, and the princess assesses the moon as she stands in a shadow.

James Thurber's text is graceful and witty. Ten-year-old Lenore's illness isn't all that serious, but her father's reaction to it is touching: She wants the moon, he'll get her the moon. The silly wise men's lists of their absurd accomplishments are mixed with their wives' shopping lists, adding extra humor. Kids will appreciate that the young princess and the childlike jester solve the story's problems.