Elusive Moose by Joan Gannij

Two weeks ago for my in-house Wednesday preschool storytime and all my outreach storytimes that week, I read books about moose.  I borrowed the Storytime Kit #16, "Moose on the Loose," for inspiration and to use the cute puppet included, but I also pulled some other moose picture books to share.  One that I really like is Elusive Moose by Joan Gannij with artwork by Clare Beaton.  The text is short--just one sentence for each two-page spread, but it is perfect for preschoolers.  I also think the rhyming words make it a great read-aloud story.  The narrator sees horses, beavers, geese, a brown bear, badgers, frogs, an eagle, Arctic foxes, hares, and squirrels, but wishes that he (she) could see a moose.  What children looking at the pictures will delight in, is that there are moose hiding on nearly every page that the narrator is oblivious to.  So the audience is in on the conceit and the successful picture book demands further readings.  But the highlight of Illusive Moose is the creative picture-making.  Beaton has once again used felt, beads, sequins, and colorful fabrics to cut and sew marvelous scenes and then they are captured as pictures for audiences to enjoy.  Her crafty images so meticulously done are great to share because of their different format compared to the usual techniques used in picture book illustrations.  Also, the author has included additional information in the back of the book about the "Animals of the Northern Lands" that would be fun to show to kids.  A page on "Animal Tracks" in the snow and "Meet the Moose!" provide further facts about this largest member of the deer family.  I'm partial to this animal after seeing a real moose up close in the wild with my grandson while vacationing in the Rockie Mountains last summer.  Check out all the books with Clare Beaton's fabric artwork in the picture book section of the Children's Room.