Wes Anderson's nostalgic kid romance Moonrise Kingdom is on its way to wide release later this month (June 29), when even more folks will have the chance to fall in love with the tale of New England youngsters Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward). As a special treat, Focus Features has released an utterly charming supplemental short — introduced by Bob Balaban as the island of New Penzance's narrator/cartographer and, as it turns out, local librarian — in which the six young adult fantasy books glimpsed in the film come to life via Hayward's narration and some magical animation.
In Moonrise, star-crossed tween lovers Sam and Suzy pact to run away together, sending the entire island into a tizzy. The soulmates' plan for escape is as practical as it is impractical; they've packed camping gear and kitten food, but Suzy's suitcase is filled with library books.
And what books! Shelly and the Secret Universe, The Francine Odysseys, The Girl from Jupiter, Disappearance of the 6th Grade, The Light of Seven Matchsticks, The Return of Auntie Lorraine... Anderson commissioned different artists to design each novel, a small but potent detail that goes a long way in capturing that elusive sense of childhood wonderment, at least for this childhood sci-fi/fantasy book nerd.