The Moon in the Cloud facts for kids
Cover of first edition
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| Author | Rosemary Harris |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Egyptian trilogy |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel, historical fantasy |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
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Publication date
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1968 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 176 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0571086705 |
| OCLC | 41022 |
| 823/.9/14 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.H2437 Mo |
| Followed by | The Shadow on the Sun |
The Moon in the Cloud is a fun and exciting children's book written by Rosemary Harris. It was first published in 1968. This story is a type of book called a historical fantasy novel. This means it mixes real history with magical or imaginary elements.
The book takes place a very long time ago in ancient lands like Canaan and Egypt. It tells a new version of the famous story of Noah's Ark and the Biblical Flood. The Moon in the Cloud is the first book in a series often called the Egyptian trilogy. The other books are The Shadow on the Sun (1970) and The Bright and Morning Star (1972).
Rosemary Harris won a special award for this book. She received the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association. This award celebrates the best children's book written by a British subject each year. The book was also published in the United States in 1969. Later, in 1978, The Moon in the Cloud was even made into a television show!
Contents
What is The Moon in the Cloud About?
The story begins when the Lord God decides to send a huge flood to cover the Earth. He tells Noah to build a giant boat, called an Ark. Noah's job is to save his family and two of every kind of animal. Noah gives his son, Ham, a very important task. Ham must collect two cats from a place called Kemi (which is Egypt) and two lions.
But Ham is a bit of a troublemaker. He doesn't want to do the work himself. So, he tricks his neighbor, Reuben, into doing it. Ham promises Reuben that if he collects the animals, Noah will let Reuben and his wife, Thamar, onto the Ark.
Reuben starts his long journey to Kemi. He travels with his camel, Anak, his cat, Cefalu, and his dog, Benoni. In the desert, they are captured by a powerful priest. This priest is very impressed by Cefalu, Reuben's cat, because he thinks Cefalu has a special, holy background.
The priest takes Cefalu to the Temple of Sekhmet in Men-nofer, the capital city of Kemi. There, Cefalu meets and falls in love with Meluseth, a beautiful temple cat. Meanwhile, Reuben is forced to become a slave to the King. Luckily, the King loves music and becomes friends with Reuben.
Reuben feels trapped and wonders if he will ever get home. But then, something unexpected happens. A "supernatural" show put on by another priest goes wrong. It causes a lot of panic and riots in the streets. This chaos gives Reuben the perfect chance to escape and rescue his beloved animals. Meluseth, the temple cat, decides to join them.
On their way back home, Cefalu, the clever cat, convinces a strong lion named Aryeh to come with them to the Ark. They also meet Thamar, Reuben's wife. She had camped in the desert to avoid Ham and had found a lost lion cub. Finally, they all return home with the two cats and the two lions.
However, Ham tries to betray them. But a lucky accident saves Reuben and his group. They find a safe place just as the heavy rain begins to fall.
Meet the Characters
This book is full of interesting characters, both people and animals!
People from Canaan
- Reuben: A young man who is good with animals. He is also an artist and a musician. Reuben is kind and very brave.
- Thamar: Reuben's beautiful and loyal wife.
- Noah: A wise old man who sees visions. He is the leader of his family.
- Noah's patient wife: She is very understanding and calm.
- Ham: Noah's son who often causes trouble. He is lazy, mean, afraid, and dishonest.
- Japheth and Shem: Noah's other sons. They are dutiful and always obey their father, even if they have doubts.
- Noah's daughters-in-law: The wives of Noah's sons.
People from Egypt
- The High Priest of Sekhmet: A powerful priest who is mean and greedy.
- Kenamut: The High Priest's smart helper who translates for him.
- Ani: The High Priest's main guard, and his family.
- The King: Also known as Horus, the Son of Re. He is a kind young ruler, but his advisers often try to control him.
- Senusmet: The King's Vizier (a high-ranking adviser). He is bossy and clever.
- Tahlevi: A friendly person who robs tombs.
- The High Priest of Ptah: Another priest who wants more power and is not fair.
Amazing Animals
- Anak: Reuben's camel. He is quite sarcastic and has a mate.
- Cefalu: Reuben's black cat. He is strong-willed and knows what he wants.
- Benoni: Reuben's friendly herd dog.
- Mouse: An elephant, and her mate.
- Meluseth: A beautiful white temple cat. She thinks very highly of herself.
- Aryeh: A very strong and impressive lion.
- A very young lion cub: A small, lost lion.
Awards and Recognition
The Moon in the Cloud received some important awards and recognition:
- It won the 1968 Carnegie Medal for British children's books.
- In 1971, the editors of Horn Book Magazine named it a Horn Book Fanfare Best Book.
From Book to TV Screen
The story of The Moon in the Cloud was made into a children's television series. It was part of the show Jackanory in 1978. The famous actor Ian McKellen was the reader who told the story.
