A moose is scared to do anything, but one day he decided he is going to go on a boat. The boat wrecks and the moose lands on an island. He makes the best of the situation and makes a lifelong friend in a turtle. A cruise ship comes along and takes the moose home. Once home the moose is more willing to try new things. This is a good story to show students that if you try something new you may find it less scary than you expected. ( )

I have no idea how you are supposed to read this out loud while keeping a straight face. ( )

Enjoyed the art but small children will not understand the storyline. ( )

Moose was not the sort of animal to take life by the horns: not for him the puddle-jumping, kite-flying, downhill-skiing, and cliff-jumping that his friends Bear and Beaver enjoyed. No, he preferred to stay safe, warm and dry. But then one day, as he was watching his friends cavort, it suddenly occurred to him that he might be missing something, by always standing on the sidelines. Impulsively stepping into a sailboat, Moose began a solo voyage that would take him through tempest-tossed seas, to desert islands, and through a wild cruise: in short, the sort of voyage that requires a lot of active participation!

After finding Nicholas Oldland's debut picture-book, Big Bear Hug, absolutely hysterical, I had high hopes for this second venture. I was pleased to see that the ursine hero of that earlier title reappears here, as one of Moose's friends, and I enjoyed the story, which highlights the idea that the more you invest in life, the more you get out of it. I don't think Making the Moose Out of Life is quite the equal of Big Bear Hug, which had me in stitches, but it was appealing enough that I intend to pick up a copy of Oldland's forthcoming third title, The Busy Beaver, due out this August. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animal stories, to kids who tend to stay on the sidelines, and to fans of Nicholas Oldland. ( )

This book is so Canadian and so cute! When this book came into the library all of us staff were laughing out loud. The pictures are nice and bright and the printing clear too. Great for an early reader or for individuals to read together. ( )