Bored by his dreary existence on the moon, the Moon Man catches a ride on a shooting star and flies down to Earth, where the people look like they're always having fun. But after the star crashes to the ground. hordes of people come to see the strange creature -- Moon Man -- lying in the crater, and all the official Earthlings in important offices call him an invader. Poor Moon Man is thrown behind bars.

But there's still hope for the jolly man from the moon, who gets thinner and thinner as the moon wanes, until one night, he is thin enough to squeeze between the bars and escape! Finally, he gets to have fun. He dances with party-going humans and smells beautiful flowers. But alas, the police aren't far behind, and the Moon Man flees to an ancient castle. There he finds an odd, 300-year-old scientist who may be able to get him back home to the Moon -- where the Moon Man realizes he was meant to be.

First published in 1967, this fable touched the hearts of children everywhere. After three decades it still has the power to charm readers, both young and old.

"Easily one of the best picture books in recent years". -- Maurice Sendak