Finding Moose

4.3

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Author(s)

Sue Farrell Holler

Publisher

Pajama Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 05, 2022

ISBN

978-1772782448

Buy This Book

The creators of Raven, Rabbit, Deer are back with another thoughtful tale of a young boy and his grandfather taking a walk through the woods and all the creatures and plants they encounter.

Walking as “quiet as mice and rabbits and deer” they come upon fresh moose droppings and set out to find the moose itself. They discover the branches where the moose ate breakfast, greet a chipmunk and goose, and inspect rosehips and pussy willows, but the moose is nowhere to be found. Finally, after accepting that they will have to try again next time, the boy and his grandfather head home… only to be met with a big surprise.

In Finding Moose, Governor General’s Award-nominated author Sue Farrell Holler gives us a glimpse into the wondrous world of nature through the eyes of a curious child. Grandpa quietly encourages this curiosity while offering answers and further lessons where he can. Illustrator Jennifer Faria draws us in with gentle paintings that make us want to reach out and touch the scenery.

Editor review

1 review

A Springtime Walk

July 12, 2022

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

A boy and his grandfather venture out into the early spring to look for a moose near their house in Canada. They tap on ice, and the grandfather tells the boy that all animals need water, so they can follow that. The see moose scat, and the grandfather uses a leaf to see what the moose has eaten. They see branches where the moose ate breakfast, and sit quietly by the creek to look for the animal. The see the work of beavers, collect rose hips for tea, and cut some pussy willow branches to bring home, but they do not see a moose. Finally, the give up and return home, where a moose it standing in their back yard!

Good Points

The boy and his grandfather appear to be Ojibwa, and plants and animals are labeled in English and in Ojibwemowin. It is interesting to see the Canadian landscape, and while there are plenty of rabbits, deer, and skunks in my own yard, I would certainly be surprised to see a moose! The observations about nature that the grandfather teaches the little boy to make could be a great springboard to neighborhood walks even in my more surburban neighborhood, and it's always good to help children connect to nature.

The soft color pallette of the acrylic paint illustrations reflects the colors and light of spring really well, and the style reminds me a little of the 1990s books that I read to my own children. In fact, it made me think of Werner's The Good Old Days (1988) where two kittens spend time with their grandparents in the woods, picking blueberries and seeing a moose. Of course, Finding Moose is much more educational, but does involve less pie.

This was very similar to Courtney's Poppy's House (set in Newfoundland but dealing with a lot of outdoor activities) or Henkes Little Houses, but fills a niche for much needed books about the natural world for children, and for books about grandfathers that do not involve them dying. Read this and plan an outdoor adventure into whatever season; they all have interesting things to see.