One hundred days of rain are what take Bertie, Marty, Maggie, and Minnie – a group of true blue friends – on their adventure to the Blue Mountain. A Feast Beneath the Moon: Bertie and Friends Hit the Road is a tribute to Lewis Carroll and, as such, proves to be a fantastical story that follows the four furry pals on a voyage filled with amusing encounters and pleasant surprises.

Wandering happily through the lush mountain forest, Bertie and his friends discover a small house where they meet a tall girl named Alice. She’s in despair after losing her scooter, so the four friends decide to keep Alice company. Thrilled, Alice welcomes them into her world as they visit her abundant garden, sing songs, play the piano, draw, and celebrate with a wonderful feast of strange and peculiar foods. Along the way, there is no shortage of entertainment with the eccentric characters they meet, which include a pair of musical mice and a funky acrobatic fly. When singing along to the diverse collection of songs woven into this musical picture book, readers are guaranteed to double their enjoyment. 

Marianne Ferrer’s use of deep watercolours and smooth lines create a soothing effect in her illustrations that pull us into the marvellous story, as if they’re extending our own personal invitation to join in on the excitement. The whole journey through the Blue Mountain culminates in an extraordinary paper airplane ride to the moon. As difficult as it is to ever leave such a magical place, readers will surely want to revisit the alluring pages of the book again and again.mRb