Z is for Moose

Is there any way to be original and fresh with an alphabet book? Apparently yes. This is a witty and sophisticated take on the format that definitely requires the readers’ familiarity and understanding of the alphabet, since most of the jokes would be lost without that background knowledge. As Moose barges over the pages trying to get himself on them as an example, he fails to realize that the only letter for which he is eligible is M. Zebra, bossy, busy Zebra shouts at him to go away, so off he clambers only to reappear on the next spread to cause more mayhem. Any reader who’s been barred from a game, or friendship will recognize the ostracizing that clumsy, clumping moose encounters and we can’t wait for him to have his moment. But even when we reach the M page, Moose is not chosen. ‘Sorry. We decided to go with the mouse,’ Zebra explains in his off-hand authoritative way, and Moose is left broken hearted.

But all is not lost, for Zebra turns out to have a heart after all, invites Moose to be on the final page, the Z page as a fine example of Zebra’s friend, moose. With a resolution this perfect, we think it’s all over, but Moose just won’t stop. He whips into the endpapers and wheedles: ‘Can we do that again?’ a desire, which is sure to make any reader want to do it again with him. A real winner.