Mr. Foulweather Yells at the Moon
A grumpy man benefits from a gentle friendship in the moving picture book Mr. Foulweather Yells at the Moon.
A curmudgeon makes a new friend in Stephen G. Bowling’s uplifting picture book Mr. Foulweather Yells at the Moon, which is about showing kindness toward one’s neighbors.
Mr. Foulweather is a “grumbly old grump” who lives alone. He wakes up at 7:00 each morning, dines on turnips, and stands on a chair and shouts at the moon for casting its light every night. When a boy asks Mr. Foulweather about the latter habit, Mr. Foulweather admits that he is bothered that the moon doesn’t respond to him. The boy offers his companionship to Mr. Foulweather, and, through this new friendship, Mr. Foulweather softens and learns to bid the moon good-night instead of yelling at it.
Told in brief rhymes, the book’s message that grumpiness may be a disguise and that some people “just need a friend” is clear. The boy is unnamed, though, which makes him somewhat generic; his characterization is rendered secondary to the lessons he gives. The moon bearing the brunt of the man’s tirades is a sweetly absurd counterpoint to the man and boy’s friendship, which blooms with the help of shared lemonade under a starry sky.
The exquisite illustrations feel like stills from an animated film. Meticulous attention is paid to the characters, scene details, and composition. Mr. Foulweather is gnomish and balding; he has a pocket watch, dons suspenders in the day, and wears a hat and fusty lavender nightgown to bed. His two-story home is flanked by towering trees and a meadow; it features solid wood furnishings and a braided rug. The vintage flourishes in his life suit him; he’s a man of habit who is “out of style.”
Other subtle details appear throughout. A newspaper headline reports a dragon sighting; a tree in a picture frowns much like Mr. Foulweather does. Even window reflections on glass-framed items are included. And people’s emotional transformations are mirrored in details as of the beatific moon smiling and Mr. Foulweather’s joyful dancing. Not mentioned in the text but appearing in the artwork is Mr. Foulweather’s furry friend—an embellishment that suggests additional layers in the tale.
An empathetic picture book, Mr. Foulweather Yells at the Moon is about a reclusive man’s change of heart thanks to a new friendship.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
