moose

3 Silly New Picture Books

| Tasha

If the S in Moose Comes Loose by Peter Hermann

If the S in Moose Comes Loose by Peter Hermann, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (9780062295101)

This picture book takes wordplay and makes it the focus of the story. When Cow’s friend Moose loses her S and E, cow decides to get some glue. But in order to do that, she has to make some and spell the word “GLUE”. Cow asks to take Goat’s G, and exchange it for a B that she steals from Bear. So Goat becomes Boat and Bear becomes Ear. As Cow continues to take letters, things get stranger and stranger. A chair becomes hair, a lake becomes cake, a house becomes a hose, and so on. Finally Cow has the letters she needs to make glue and bring back her friend, but there’s still some mess to clean up too.

This rambunctious story takes a wild look at words, letter sounds and spelling. Hermann’s fast and zany pace creates a picture book that flies right by. Throughout, different characters add to the chaos, including the Bull who refuses to share his U and the very confused Boat who used to be a Goat. The illustrations by Cordell add to the fun with their loose lines and dashing action scenes. They also make it nicely clear what letters are forming each creature’s name, so that children will be able to play along as the words shift. A fast and funny look at words. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Sheep 101 by Richard T. Morris

Sheep 101 by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Leuyen Pham (9780316213592)

A boy is counting sheep to fall asleep, but then sheep number 101 crashes into the fence and gets stuck. The boy tells them not to stop and talk to each other, but soon even more is going wrong. A cow enters instead of a sheep, posing as number 103 and jumping the fence and the sheep easily. The pig who comes next can’t make it over Sheep 101 who is still stuck. When the blind mouse and Humpty Dumpty add to the chaos, someone has to help. Who could it be?

Filled with lots of humor and surprises, young listeners will love this book. It is a treat to read aloud with the characters talking directly to the reader and causing all sorts of problems along the way. The final twist will surprise everyone and places the book firmly into the world of today’s children. The illustrations are a treat, featuring lots of speech balloons, a weeping pig, a cow who does backflips, and a rather cross sheep. Share this one with a group of preschoolers for plenty of cheers! Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from library copy.)

People Don_t Bite People by Lisa Wheeler

People Don’t Bite People by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Molly Idle (9781481490825)

This picture book is all about not biting people but being able to bite other things like gum. Animals may bite too, but they are not people. Even if you mood is bad, you don’t bite other people. No biting mothers or fathers, you choose who you chomp. This book must be read aloud with its galloping rhyme that even has a chorus that repeats and invites listeners to join in too. The entire book is a look at biting and has a light hearted tone throughout that will have children giggling. The illustrations by award-winning Idle have the same feel as her popular Flora books but this time with a vintage flair. Ideal for sharing with a group of kids! Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.)

 

 

Review: This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris

| Tasha

this is a moose

This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

A movie director is trying to create a documentary about the Mighty Moose.  You know, the ones that eat plants and drink from lakes.  But instead what he gets is a moose who wants to be an astronaut.  And his grandmother who wants to be a lacrosse goalie.  And somehow a giraffe who wants to be a doctor is also brought into the  movie!  Then there is a grand plan to get the moose who wants to be an astronaut into space.  No matter what the poor director does, no one pays him any attention just doing what they want to do.  There are plenty of more twists along the way too in this hilarious picture book.

Morris writes with an ear for dialogue and yelling.  The book reads aloud perfectly, the tones matching the fonts, the silliness reaching amazing heights.  At first the book is serious with the mighty moose, but that lasts only for a page or two before it becomes pure farce, which will delight young listeners.  They will also delight in the fact that the “adult” voice of the director is ignored for much more fun pursuits as the character join forces to launch the moose into space. 

Lichtenheld’s illustrations add to the laughs as the characters stand up to the structure of the book and completely mess with the system.  Lichtenheld plays with perspective, throws the characters bodily around, and adds plenty of motion to the page.  This is one wild and silly book, a farcical festival.

Got silly kids?  Get this book!  Guaranteed giggles in no time at all.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

| Tasha

this moose belongs to me

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred’s moose arrived a while ago and Wilfred just knew that the moose was meant to be his.  He called the moose, Marcel.  Wilfred had some serious rules if Marcel was going to be his pet, but Marcel didn’t seem interested in following them.  Some though, Marcel was very good at.  He did not make noise while Wilfred was listening to his music.  He provided Wilfred shelter from the rain and he knocked high things down so that Wilfred could reach them.  Then there were the rules that Marcel didn’t follow.  He didn’t stay near home and soon Wilfred had learned to carry string along with them so they could find their way back home after long jaunts.  It was on one of those long walks that Wilfred discovered that there was someone else who thought that THEY owned the moose! 

Jeffers once again captures a concept with solidity and grace.  He manages to take the idea of owning an animal and get readers to ask themselves about what ownership really means.  The character of Wilfred has to do some adapting of his own, quickly changing his own rules and beliefs to be more moderate and open-ended.  It also helped to share food.

The art here combines grand backdrops of mountains and plains with one small round-headed boy and a moose, dragging bright blue string behind.  It’s a wonderful juxtaposition that will have readers understanding immediately that this moose is certainly not a pet that belongs to anyone.

Another delight from Jeffers, this book is about wilderness, the wild, and owning a pet.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham

| Tasha

z is for moose

Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

If you are looking for an alphabet book with more than a bit of nonsense, this is the one for you!  I happen to be a huge fan of alphabet books that play around, add humor and have plenty of twists.  If you are looking for a straight-forward ABC book, the title alone should be enough to have you looking elsewhere.  For those of you as silly as I am, continue on!  Zebra is in charge of the ABCs happening in the right order on stage.  Unfortunately, Moose doesn’t want to wait his turn.  He enters on D, knocking Duck away, messes up Elephant’s entrance too, gets his head in the way for Hat, pops out of the pocket for Kangaroo, and continues to be silly for Lollipop too.  But the insult truly comes when they decide to go with M is for… Mouse.  Now Moose is upset and rampages through P and Q, drawing scribbles on R and S.  Zebra tries to stop him, but ends up messing things up himself until the happy ending at Z. 

Bingham’s writing is filled with asides from the different animals.  The book is extremely funny, the pacing is brilliant, and the twists are unexpected.  There is a great tension built up as the letter M approaches, and then with the twist, it is pure genius. 

Zelinsky’s illustrations add to the mad gaiety of the book.  Moose is obnoxious but also charming, his emotions clear on his face.  The reaction of Moose as M passes him by is delightful, the rampage of destruction is great fun, and his scribbling is clever. 

It is clear that this is a book that was pure fun to create, since that is apparent on every page.  Impossible to read without laughing and grinning, this is an alphabet book that is sure to delight.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A House in the Woods by Inga Moore

| Tasha

house in the woods

A House in the Woods by Inga Moore

One pig had built a den for herself in the woods with another pig next door in a hut.  The two pigs went exploring in the woods and when they returned home, they found a bear and a moose in their homes.  Unfortunately, the spaces were not made for such large animals and both the den and the hut collapsed!  So the four animals talk about what they could do and decide to build a home where they all could live.  They had no idea where to start, so they called in the Beavers who only asked to be paid in peanut-butter sandwiches.  Everyone worked together to build a marvelous house and then worked together to get the sandwiches made for the Beavers.  In the end, they had a cozy warm home just right for the four friends together.

This book is so warm and cozy with an old-fashioned feel.  The story embraces a spirit of friendship and cooperation without ever being didactic about it.  Instead the lessons are woven directly into the story and shown, never told.  The tone of the tale is gentle and cheerful with small touches throughout that bring the story to life.  Here is the paragraph when the four friends are finally asleep in their own home:

Soon the only sounds to be heard were the soft cheeps of sleepy birds roosting in the rafters, the tiny rustling of wood mice in the fallen leaves outside, and, just now and then, the gentle snoring of Bear.

Moore’s art has the same warm, old-fashioned feel as the story.  The animals are individuals with interesting personalities, who each contribute differently to the project.  Through the entire work is a feel of nature and home.

This charming book is a joy to read aloud and will delight listeners.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

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Ernest the Moose Who Doesn’t Fit

| Tasha

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Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn’t Fit by Catherine Rayner

Ernest has a problem, he doesn’t fit into the book!  He tries to shuffle in forward, but that doesn’t work.  He tries to squeeze in backward.  Nope.  He can get his middle to fit, but not his legs or head.  Luckily, Ernest has a small friend with a big idea.  It’s just going to take some tape and some paper.  They work for a long time until…  Well, you will just have to read it to find out how they manage to fit Ernest into his book.  Children will respond to the visual puzzle of how to get Ernest to fit into the book.  The final unveiling is definitely worth the suspense and build up.

Rayner has created a very simple book that is filled with a gentle humor.  The process of problem solving is played out here, from the issue itself through trial and error, and finally the brilliant solution!  It is a book that also demonstrations creativity and perseverance.  Rayner’s illustrations are charming mix of media with paint, crayon and paper arts.  The background to the illustrations is graph paper giving a great mathematical and structural feel to the whimsical art.  It is a dynamic pairing.

A great book to share with a group, this book will have everyone cheering Ernest and his friend and their solution to how to fit a big moose in a small book.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.