Too Many Moose!

May 15, 2016
Many moose mean much merriment--or do they?Little redheaded, freckled white Martha wants a pet. She consults several books and with great enthusiasm decides to get a moose. The match between Martha and moose is so felicitous that she goes online and orders "one more... // and one more and one more / until she had four!" But even four are not enough, and Martha keeps adding to her menagerie. The moose all happily participate in many activities, many of which start with the letter M: mixing up mud pies, solving math equations, making muffins, and dancing to a mambo beat. Alas, one day the many moose "run amok!" and make messes and mistakes. So back they go, via mail, except for the first moose. Bakos has written a humorous tale filled with rhythm and M-wordplay. Is it an object lesson in the chimerical nature of wish fulfillment or the dangers of online ordering? Maybe, but more than anything, this is great fun to read aloud and an entertaining ode to human-animal friendship. Chambers' digital illustrations on a white background present moose that are animated, antic, and delightfully personable.A pet is a good companion--in the singular not the plural. (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Martha really wants a pet and "marvel[s] and mull[s] over what she should get." But everything seems too mundane, until she decides on a moose. One moose is fun, but soon Martha begins ordering more, until she has a small herd. They have fun doing all number of things: munching macaroni, mamboing till midnight, making muffins, and swimming. Eventually, Martha realizes she has too many moose. They misplace her mittens and use up her shampoo and generally run amok. So Martha sends all but one of them back. Told with rhyming text and alliteration, this is a charming tale about the perils of pet ownership. The pictures are colorful, and the plot is entertaining. Readers are shown how easily the protagonist's merriment is turned into mayhem. VERDICT A solid addition to picture book collections and a fun read-aloud for any animal-themed storytimes.-Paige Garrison, Augusta Richmond County Library System, GA

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