What About Moose?

by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Rebecca J. Gomez, Keika Yamaguchi (Illustrator)

Overview

It takes a team to build a tree house—but what if that team includes one very bossy moose?

When Fox, Toad, Bear, Porcupine, and Skunk set out to build a tree house, they know just what to do: they’ll follow a plan and they’ll work as a team. But when bossy Moose barges in and upends their plans with some of his own, his friends become more and more frustrated…until things go hilariously awry!

This lively rhyming picture book is pure, bouncy fun even as it imparts a subtle lesson about teamwork. Young readers will love to chant along: “But what about you, Moose!”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481404969
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	371,016
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Corey Rosen Schwartz is a fan of reading, rhyming, and writing with a partner. She is the mother of a bossy she-moose and a sensitive little fox who carries his toolbox everywhere. Visit her online at CoreyRosenSchwartz.com.

Rebecca J. Gomez doesn’t know much about building a tree house, but she is an expert at setting up blanket forts! When she isn’t building forts or writing books, she enjoys reading, making recycled art, and hanging out with her family. She lives in Nebraska with her husband, three kids, two poodles and one parrotlet. Visit her online at RebeccaJGomez.com.

Keika Yamaguchi fondly remembers secret hiding places she and her cousins played in as children. Though she always dreamed of building a tree house, it never happened. In drawing Moose and her friends, Keika has had a second chance at childhood fantasies. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog Ellie. Visit her online at KeikasHouse.com.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2015
K-Gr 2—As the woodland creatures gather to build a tree house, bossy Moose arrives and takes over as foreman, barking orders and causing discontent. The other animals repeatedly ask him why he isn't helping with the physical labor, but he only replies that being in charge is the hardest job. A rhyming, playful story ends on a happy note, after Moose gets stuck in a sticky situation and the other animals use teamwork to rescue him. The colorful images are soft and playful, with craftily illustrated angst-ridden faces of the forest animals. Moose's commands are depicted in red as they blast through his megaphone. The pages are at times busy, but that only adds to the frantic and overwhelming feel of the story. The vocabulary is heavy at times, with caulking and dictator appearing among the many potentially unfamiliar words. But this offers a great opportunity to build some early literacy skills, along with the singsong rhyming text. VERDICT The life lesson of sharing and being polite are important ones, making this story a good read for most children.—Kaitlin Connors, Virginia Beach Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-03-03
Fox and friends have plans to build a treehouse, but bossy Moose keeps interferingCooperation is the keyword for Fox and her hardworking co-builders. Unfortunately, Moose thinks he is the most knowledgeable, and he is certainly the bossiest. With a megaphone, he shouts out orders but does not lend a hand. He criticizes, exhorts, advises, and then collapses from the sheer exhaustion of being in charge. Neither Skunk nor Porcupine nor Toad nor Fox measure up to his standards of Moose excellence. Then the walls are completed, and the roof is put in place—but where is Moose? Sharp-eyed readers will see what has happened: Moose is inside the newly completed treehouse and too big to exit through the door. The friends cleverly come to his rescue, and Moose happily learns his lesson. Schwartz and Gomez have crafted a pleasant tale in rhyming couplets about working together, pitching in, and planning ahead. The digitally rendered illustrations are colorful and full of activity as animals clad in work clothes tote tool boxes, measure, lift beams, nail, caulk, drill, and construct. The almost perfectly round Toad alone, clad in pink overalls and safety goggles, with a tiny yellow hard hat perched atop, is practically worth the price of admission. Gentle humor successfully communicates the importance of teamwork to young readers. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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