What Use Is a Moose? [Paperback]

Martin Waddell (Author), Arthur Robins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

What do you do with a moose? You love him! With slapstick illustrations by Arthur Robins, Martin Waddell tells a laugh-out-loud tale of a boy and his ungainly friend. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This pert spin on the improbable-pet genre introduces what is arguably the goofiest and most endearing moose to come down the pike since Bullwinkle. A boy named Jack brings the moose home, and then spends much of the book trying to justify the animal's presence to his skeptical mother. He proposes a variety of moose-appropriate roles: clothesline, chauffeur, gardener, chef, housekeeper. But again and again, the outcome is so calamitous that the refrain "That was no use!" becomes a lesson in understatement. Mom angrily banishes the moose, then rescinds her decree when she sees that Jack is despondent; she realizes that "being loved is a very good use for a moose." The laughter here is virtually nonstop. Drawn in loopy, Mad-magazine-cartoon style, Robins's (Knee-High Norman) gangly, toothy moose is a hoot, whether flashing an inane smile (especially when he's handed the keys to the family car) or gamely trying his hand at domestic chores. Yet the nameless moose never overshadows the other characters, and the wide range of Mom's and Jack's emotions comes through. Waddell's (Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?) text is a model of economy, never pushing a comic point or the moral too far. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. In hilarious and exciting incidents, a moose attempts to prove his usefulness in order to remain at young Jack's home. When he acts as a clothesline, a chauffeur, a gardener, and even a cook, his total failures force Jack's mother to send the animal back to the woods. However, Jack's loneliness and sadness without Moose make Mom conclude that "Being loved is a very good use for a moose." The creature returns to live in a shack that he and Jack build together. Bright, expressive watercolors increase the humor and intensify the action of each disastrous episode. Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (Macmillan, 1983), Waddell's book offers a zanier story. Children will delight in the antics and laugh as they ask for another read. What Use Is a Moose? deserves a place of honor next to Waddell's Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? and Farmer Duck (both Candlewick, 1992). A love story that's not to be missed.?Patricia Mahoney Brown, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763604615
• ISBN-13: 978-0763604615
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,395,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin Waddell is the Hans Christian Andersen Medal winner 2004 and two-time Smarties Prize winner. Among his many books for children are the Little Bear and Farmer Duck series. Martin lives in Newcastle in County Down.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for both children and their parents, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Use Is a Moose? (Paperback)

With wonderful illustrations, this story is a favorite for both my three-year-old daughter and myself. The message of not having to be successful at everything you try is a wonderful one for young children. The idea that being a "good friend" and being loved by others is all that is necessary to give you a "use" in this world is very refreshing.