Making the Moose Out of Life (Life in the Wild)

Moose was not the sort of animal to take life by the horns: not for him the puddle-jumping, kite-flying, downhill-skiing, and cliff-jumping that his friends Bear and Beaver enjoyed. No, he preferred to stay safe, warm and dry. But then one day, as he was watching his friends cavort, it suddenly occurred to him that he might be missing something, by always standing on the sidelines. Impulsively stepping into a sailboat, Moose began a solo voyage that would take him through tempest-tossed seas, to desert islands, and through a wild cruise: in short, the sort of voyage that requires a lot of active participation!

After finding Nicholas Oldland's debut picture-book, Big Bear Hug, absolutely hysterical, I had high hopes for this second show more venture. I was pleased to see that the ursine hero of that earlier title reappears here, as one of Moose's friends, and I enjoyed the story, which highlights the idea that the more you invest in life, the more you get out of it. I don't think Making the Moose Out of Life is quite the equal of Big Bear Hug, which had me in stitches, but it was appealing enough that I intend to pick up a copy of Oldland's forthcoming third title, The Busy Beaver, due out this August. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animal stories, to kids who tend to stay on the sidelines, and to fans of Nicholas Oldland. show less

What do I love most about the moose, the bear and the beaver books by Nicholas Oldland? Opening this book is like the heralding of a trumpet - whichever grandchildren are within earshot when I begin reading, come clambering onto my arms and shoulders to peer into the book and listen . It doesn't matter how many times I read this and it doesn't seem to matter if they are two or ten years old, arms and legs are everywhere vying for the spot closest to (me) the book

(this review repeats itself on all of the moose, the bear, and the beaver books by Oldland)

I reviewed The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear last year and basically didn't like the text, but loved the illustrations. I still don't like the text and I still love the illustrations! The ninja likes to play with his friends, cowboy and bear. But the ninja likes to do adventurous things, like jumping on beds and climbing trees. He persuades his friends to join him, instead of allowing them to choose what to play (picking flowers or painting pictures). They both get hurt and the ninja makes fun of them so they leave. Then the ninja is lonely and misses his friends - he goes to find them and works out a way that he can be adventurous, but not hurt his friends and join in their games. Everyone lives happily ever after. The pictures are show more adorably exquisite and I love that they handily translated the Japanese characters in a couple of the spreads. But the platitudes are just too much. I realize the story may be meant to be read tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think kids will see it that way. Of course, the fact that the text is didactic and cliched doesn't detract from kids enjoying this series and most parents WANT "issue" books anyways. I just don't like it personally.

Verdict: Add this one if you already have the original. It's popular with many parents and kids don't care about the didactism. And the pictures are lovely!

The Way of the Ninja by David Bruins, illustrated by Hilary Leung
ISBN: 978-1554536153; Published September 2010 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates

This one I don't think even issue-happy parents will be clamoring for. The blocky, photoshopped illustrations tell the story of a moose who doesn't like to get wet, cold, or really enjoy anything outdoors. He searches for what he feels he's missing through meditation, on the internet, and "Praying to the Moose above". Finally, he realizes he needs to "take life by the antlers" to find what he's missing. He promptly sets sail in a convenient sailboat, gets caught in a storm, stranded on a desert island, and decides to make the best of things instead of giving in to circumstances. He creates a Robinson Crusoe-like life on the island with his new turtle friend Tuesday, gets rescued by a ship and enjoys a long cruise home, then happily greets his friends and invites them to go cliff-diving.

I'm not quite sure what the point of this story is. Sure, you could hand it to kids who spend their lives vegetating in front of the tv, but I don't really see them turning it off and going outside to explore based on this. Or the same things for kids who are scared to try new things. The book is very humorous, but the humor is waaaay over the heads of most kids. They're unlikely to pick up on the Robinson Crusoe joke (most adults are unlikely to pick up on this for that matter) or the finding yourself humor, or the golf ball epiphany. I think this story really had adults in mind - probably best as a graduation gift.

Verdict: A fun graduation gift, but not recommended for a children's library collection.

Making the moose out of life by Nicholas Oldland
ISBN: 978-1554535804; Published August 2010 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates show less

This book is so Canadian and so cute! When this book came into the library all of us staff were laughing out loud. The pictures are nice and bright and the printing clear too. Great for an early reader or for individuals to read together.

A moose is scared to do anything, but one day he decided he is going to go on a boat. The boat wrecks and the moose lands on an island. He makes the best of the situation and makes a lifelong friend in a turtle. A cruise ship comes along and takes the moose home. Once home the moose is more willing to try new things. This is a good story to show students that if you try something new you may find it less scary than you expected.

I have no idea how you are supposed to read this out loud while keeping a straight face.

Enjoyed the art but small children will not understand the storyline.