SPOON and the MOON leaves behind the realm of children’s nursery rhyme becoming a seductive and fanciful tale about protagonists longing for fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives.
The characters of this story are varied but all equally smart-mouthed, bold and full of lust and/or life. Elsa the cow has inherited a grand mansion and spends her time gardening and pining for the moon. Lil, the handy-woman who has moved in next door, longs for a lover. Luckily for her, “spoons are nurturers” and her spoon is no different as it is always “ helping to easing heartbreak with a pint of ice cream.”
A cat named Possibilities plays the violin, and Bitty, the rough and rowdy dog that taunts and harasses Elsa, “stinks like wet dog.” Along the way other equally delightful and colorful characters are introduced to the story, like Ambrosia, the ‘Queen’ or the beautiful ‘dish’, Veronica who captures Lil’s heart.
The story is free flowing, meandering between the lives of the characters until they become interwoven into the lives of Elsa and Lil in their exploration of friendship and desires to fill their {ahem} voids. The narrative is filled with language rich with metaphors, sexual innuendo and puns that also presents itself in the art; for example the illustration in which a house is drawn into the abstract outline of a seated body and the front door is positioned between the ‘legs’. Sensual description is also humorously depicted as with Elsa and the sight of her “rosy pink udders” peeking out from under her dress, or the video of her exploding udders.
In addition to the well crafted descriptions and engaging use of language, Marie Davis and Margaret Hultz aka Wickedly Sisters, offer some keen tongue-in-cheek observations that prove to be insightful and humorous: “Few crosses are harder to bear than to be a lactose intolerant cow.” Other examples of these fresh observations include: “Cemeteries hold more than the departed, they hold mysteries. Everyone takes secrets to the grave,” and “All Wishes are attractive. That’s how they get you hooked.”
Gorgeous and creative interactive images with drop down boxes and videos are complemented by quixotic musical accompaniments from the cat playing the fiddle to haunting ballads and sound bytes from the Apollo takeoff that keeps the reader fully engaged and captivated.
The characters of the children’s nursery rhyme, Hey Diddle Diddle assume their roles (with a naughty twist) in this beautifully chimerical and enticing, flirtatious romp of a lascivious, lesbian, interactive fairytale.
Reviewed by Maya Fleischmann for IndieReader