If You Give a Moose a Muffin (If You Give...)

In this sequel to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the complexities that can follow a simple act of kindness are played out with the same rampant silliness as in the previous book. The dilemma here is of a different dimension--a moose, after all, will almost always be a bigger problem than a mouse--but the collaborators maintain the same jolly mood. And what happens when you give a moose a muffin? He asks for jam, of course, and when he's finished eating all the muffins, he'll want you to make more. That entails a trip to the store. Of course the moose would like to go, but he may need to borrow a sweater; he might notice a button is loose, in which case he'll require a needle and thread. Numeroff and Bond have another clear winner--the drawings of the goofy moose sashaying around the house as his small host struggles to keep up with his demands make for great fun. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1-- From the first toss of a muffin to the final behind-the-couch scene in which the day's activities culminate in a messy array and the story comes full circle, readers gladly follow a moose and a young boy in this lively tale. Much as she did in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (HarperCollins, 1985), Numeroff presents the energetic sequence of events in stream-of-consciousness fashion. Here the action principally involves putting on a puppet show, from the creation of sock puppets and scenery through cleanup time, making this title more cohesive than its predecessor. An added dimension this time is the mother, who figures in several illustrations but not in the text, blithely oblivious to all the goings-on. The text provides just the right springboard for Bond's distinct, pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings. The moose is a riot. He is at once dainty and exuberant with a heartwarming, ever-smiling face. Even when covered antler to hoof with paint, he looks lovable enough to take home. Librarians will have trouble keeping this book on the shelf. --Martha Topol, Interlochen Pub. Lib., MI