Sometimes the idea for a story will spring into my mind fully-formed, but a lot of the time, I get an idea that doesn't work the way I think it should and I have to put it to one side and come back to it later. The story for "Bringing Down the Moon" was like this.

The first idea I came up with was for a story called "A Tower to the Moon" which was about a man who tries to reach the moon by building an enormous rickety tower. The tower gets taller and taller until it eventually topples over. But I wasn't happy with this story, the man's behaviour didn't feel right to me - why did he suddenly decide to do this, and why didn't he know that the moon is too far away.

I stuck the story in my "In Progress" folder and kept coming back to it every few months, but got no further with it until I hit upon the idea of making the main character a mole. A mole lives underground and might never have come across the moon before. And moles are short-sighted, so they might have difficulty judging distance. Then I remembered a picture of a mole that David Parkins had drawn as an incidental character for Tick-Tock - one of my favourite picture books. When I looked at this mole (who is determinedly riding a bicycle), my Mole's character and the rest of the story began to fall into place.

I decided that a tower was a bit too sophisticated for a mole, so he would build a ladder instead. I also thought that he would try a more straightforward approach first. So, to start with, I had him jumping up, poking and throwing things at the moon.

Next, I introduced some other characters for Mole to interact with. I liked the idea of these characters being woken-up, one by one, as Mole reached higher and higher. So I chose a rabbit that slept below ground, a hedgehog that slept on the ground and a squirrel that slept high up in a tree.

I often discuss story ideas with my son, Max. When I first told him this story (he was two years old at the time) I kept stopping and asking him what he thought Mole might do next. When I got to the bit just before Mole was going to build the ladder, I asked Max what he thought Mole would do - and Max suggested that he should climb a tree. This struck me as a much stronger and straightforward solution, so I decided to use it in the story. This is why the book is dedicated "To Max, for the use of his tree."

Walker Books bought the story and Vanessa Clarke, my editor there, set about turning it into a book. Finding the right illustrator was important. The story takes place at night, so a subtle use of light and colour was needed to bring the dark woodland world to life. Vanessa showed me some beautifully-toned illustrations that Vanessa Cabban had just done for another book and we quickly settled on her.

Like all good illustrators, Vanessa Cabban has enriched and extended the story. One of my favourite examples of this is her final end-paper illustration, which shows Mole staying up to admire the moon, long after his friends have gone back to bed.

Illustrations © 2001 Vanessa Cabban. Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd., London .

"Hot diggety!" exclaims plump Mole when he sees the full moon for what is apparently the first time. And indeed, the moon is at its most fetching, glowing in the cobalt-blue night sky "like a bright silver coin." Mole spends the balance of the book engaged in sweetly comic attempts to pry the moon out of the sky. His woodland pals try to warn him off the plan, each one pointing out, "It's not as close as it looks." But that doesn't stop Mole from trying to leap for it, poke it, knock it down with acorns or simply grab it from a high tree branch. Finally, it dawns on him: the moon's beauty lies in the fact that everyone can enjoy it (and besides, Mole now notes sagely, "It's NOT as close as it looks!").
Author and artist seem ideally paired for this well-travelled but sweet tale. In Emmett's unadorned, gentle prose, Mole never seems the least bit avaricious he's just genuinely enchanted by the moon's ethereal beauty. As was true in her Down in the Woods at Sleepytime, Cabban's creatures radiate genuine affection for one another. Keeping the detailing in her settings to a minimum there's just enough to provide a proper stage for Mole's pratfalls - Cabban lets the luminescence of the sky and moon hold center stage. It's easy to see why Mole is so thoroughly captivated. Ages 3-6.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

There is no denying the sleep-inducing qualities of Emmett's bedtime tale, so tender and delicate it could be the Platonic ideal for gentleness, while Cabban's illustrations add the softness of a night warmed by moonlight ... A sweet lesson in not getting what you want, yet getting what you need.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

A wonderful re-working of a classic tale ... There are noisy bits and some delightful repetitive phrases just right for joining in. The strong, rhythmic and sure-footed text is complemented by warm and atmospheric illustrations.

Roy Apps, CAROUSEL

Mole's expressive 'Hot-diggerty!' is a memorable opening to this endearing book where text and pictures are admirably matched ... There is a lot to talk about in this book with its gentle, appealing illustrations and great read-aloud text. It is just right for young children becoming more familiar with the world around them.

Gwynneth Bailey, BOOKS FOR KEEPS

This funny fable about an overreaching little mole delivers a reassuring moral for contemporary kids who want "the moon ... The comical, thought-provoking story gets a lift from Cabban's sweet art, which occasionally uses vertical panels to create a great cartoon effect.

Connie Fletcher, BOOKLIST

This delightful, simple story for 3 - 6 year-olds, with plenty of repetition and other opportunities for participation, lends itself well to drama, class assembly and other story-sharing situations. The language feels very 'natural', as if the story is being told rather than read ... Beautifully bold illustrations cover the whole page, so they can be easily seen by group audiences or enjoyed by individuals.

Natalie Ford, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for the TEACHING of ENGLISH

Dark blue skies and a glowing moon exude peace and serenity in this sweet book. Preschoolers will sympathize with Mole's attempts and sigh with contentment when they realize he has not ruined the treasure. The onomatopoeia scattered throughout makes this an appealing read-aloud. A pleasant, quiet offering

Anne Knickerbocker, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban have created one of my favourite books this year: "Bringing Down the Moon".

Jill Johnson Keeney, THE COURIER JOURNAL

With a lovely ending, this is a tale that will definitely charm readers of all ages.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW

A beautifully illustrated tale ... This is bedtime story material at it's best and the cover has a mole on the front poking a stick at the moon - what more could you possible want?

Jamie Hancock, OTTAKAR'S

The opening to this story is breathtaking in its simplicity ... The illustrations and the text are perfectly paired resulting in a most enjoyable, informative and entertaining read. A pure joy to read aloud as the use of language has been carefully and lovingly thought through, creating the most adorable little character who cannot fail but to evoke warmth and recognition in the young reader.

Rhian Tracey, TOP READS

Superbly written, this lovely bedtime tale should entrance.

Lee Littlewood, KID'S HOME LIBRARY

A magical story that lovingly emphasises the innocence of the young ... Imaginative picture layout is the perfect counterpoint to the lyrical text - a must read for younger children.

Elizabeth Keell, CAROUSEL

This is a beautiful, charming tale - a perfect bedtime story ... It’s a lovely tale and nicely illustrated.

Tina Hene, FAMILIES ONLINE

	Language	Title	Translator	Publisher	Hardcover ISBN	Paperback ISBN	Other ISBN	BUY at Amazon
	Catalan	El talp i la lluna rebonica	Antoni Cossimo	Beascoa	8448813448
	China	小鼹鼠 摘月亮	卢芳	Beijing Yunaliu Classic Culture Ltd			9787221098214 (Part of a 4 paperback set of the first 4 Mole books)	Paperback 4 Book Set
	Danish	Mulle og Månen	Ilse M. Haugaard	Sesam	8711134925
	Dutch	Ik wil de maan*	Annelies Jorna	Van Goor	9000034035		Gift Pack (Board Book& Mole Soft Toy) 900003597X
	Finnish	Myyrä Tahtoo Kuun	Raija Viitanen	Mäkelä	9518821658
	French	Une Taupe au Clair de Lune	Christophe Tranchant	Mijade		2871423628		Paperback
	Frisian	Mol wol de moanne ha	Hermien van der Meer	Afûk	9062736009
	Gaelic	A' Glusad na Gealaich	Norma Nicleòid	Acair		086152733X		Paperback
	German	Fang den Mond kleiner Molle	Matthias Mala	arsEdition	3760713351			Hardcover
		Was leuchtet in der Nacht? (Current Edition)	Peter Ahorner	Annette Betz	9783219115475			Hardcover
	Greek	Θα κατεβάσω το φεγγάρι!	Άννα Παπασταύρου	Αίσωπος	9608240034
	Hebrew	להוריד את הירח	אירית ארב	Kinneret	9655172139
	Hungarian	Ide nekem a Holdat!	Parnaki Ágnes	Naphegy Kiadó	9789638728128
	Italian	Voglio prendere la luna!		Nord-Sud			Hardback & DVD 9788882038731	Hardcover
	Japanese	ぼく、おつきさまがほしいんだ	おびか ゆうこ	Tokuma Shoten (BFC)	9784198615826			Hardcover
	Korean	달따고 싶어		Moonjin	8972608211
	Polish	Jak ztapac ksiezyc	Katazzynz Domanska	Egmont	8323788928
	Portuguese	Eu Quero a Lua		Presença	9789722358842
	Slovenian	Kako je Krtek Klatil Luno	Metka Bartol	Ucila	9612333769
	Spanish (Castilian)	Bajar la luna del cielo	Mireia Ibáñez	Beascoa	844881343X			Hardcover
	Swedish	Mullvaden och Månen	Ulrika Berg	Sjöstrands Förlag	9175745291

* Winner of the Kiekeboekprijs 2003 (Best Pre-school Book in The Netherlands)