The Birthday Moon

``On your next birthday / I'll give you a moon / On the end of a string / Like a golden balloon.'' Thus begins Duncan's engaging, rhythmic text about the wondrous different presents a moon can become. If the moon is whole, it can be a ball to play with or a coin to spend. If your birthday comes when it is a half moon, it can become a bowl for cherries or ice cream or soup. A quarter moon can become a bow to shoot arrows, a hammock or a harp. If the moon is tiny and thin, the gift giver will provide a box to protect it in. Davis's ( When Daddy Comes Home ) ethereal watercolors depicting the elusive moon provide a shimmery backdrop for the dancing text. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)