This Moose Belongs to Me

Against splendid depictions of the American wilderness with its snow covered peaks, forest and lakes (reminiscent of the photographs of Ansel Adams), Oliver Jeffers playfully situates Wilfred and the gigantic moose he decides to make his pet. Both Wilfred and the magnificent animal are typically stylised Jeffers figures with stick legs and minimal features which are nevertheless highly expressive.

Wilfred devises rules for the moose on being a good pet which the moose ignores but their wishes coincide well enough until the day of the’ terrible discovery’ when Wilfred finds out that someone else thinks she owns the moose. This old woman knows the moose as Rodrigo, not Marcel, the name Wilfred has given him. Enraged, Wilfred runs away, only to get himself in a tangle from which he will need rescuing…

With subtlety and humour, Jeffers’ story makes the point that we cannot make others into what we want them to be (much as we would often like to). The moose will do what suits him, despite Wilfred’s attempts at control. Jeffers’ scribbly line as he depicts the relationship between his protagonists against the colossal splendour of his backdrops adds to the humour in this highly enjoyable book.