IT'S A MOOSE!

Moose in the forest or moose in the zoo are OK, but a moose in the house?

Baby’s room is all ready for the new sibling, but, as Sis tells the story, the baby has a few differences from other newborns in the hospital. He has “velvety soft skin and big brown eyes.” His diet is a little different, his nose is a lot bigger, and so are his feet. Nonetheless, he is loved and nurtured. Neighbors are jealous, and classmates all want “a moose baby.” As happens with babies, this one grows, but his growth is astonishing. Toys, bathtubs, and finally the house itself shrink in size by comparison. Reluctantly, the family maps out a trip to a forest where their (enormous) baby moose finds an inviting environment and new friends of his own sort. He does send his love in a postcard. Rosoff’s little tale of interspecies family love should bring a laugh or two to young readers, juxtaposing as it does the absurdity of a very large member of the deer family residing in a human abode. Ercolini’s cartoon illustrations convey this quite aptly with their emphasis on height and an elongated perspective. The softly hued colors are inviting and feature people of various shades and a moose of brown hide and yellow antlers (the human members of the moose’s family of origin are white).

A lesson in animal care told with love and humor