The Useful Moose: A Truthful, Moose-Full Tale
Kindergarten-Grade 2 - Molly's tale begins, "Some children like cats. Some children like dogs. I like moose." After traveling to Alaska with her family to see these animals, the girl discovers that they are all vacationing in her own city. Back home, Molly overhears three young moose complaining about their aching feet and invites them to her apartment. They soon exhibit their exceptional housekeeping skills ("Monty was a great cook. Munroe was a fantastic washer-upper. Milligan and Monty were terrific at dryng laundry. And Munroe was wonderful at winding wool"). Inevitably, the animals get homesick and return to Alaska, but send their friend postcards and even drop in for a surprise appearance at her birthday party. On the last page, Molly changes her beginning statement to, "I love moose!" The textured oil paintings are done in cartoon style and reinforce the mood and action of the story. Children will love examining and discussing the humorously exaggerated pictures. With its broad and comical appeal, this original picture book is an excellent choice for individual or group readings.- Jessi Platt, Auburn Public Library, ALCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.