Children's Book Review: The Little Moose Who Couldn't Go to Sleep by Willy Claflin, Illus by James Stimson

Thanks to NetGalley for facilitating the ebook galley of this book!

Synopsis: 

From the award winning creative team who brought you The Uglified Ducky, winner of the 2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award,Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs, and The Bully Goat Grim comes the fourth fractured fairy tale from Maynard Moose. The Little Moose Who Couldn’t go to Sleep practically named itself. Part cautionary tale, part travelogue, Little Moose will take you places no moose has been before, well except Mother Moose. Nevermind that. If you want to do well in school, impress your parents and show up your siblings, a good night’s sleep is essential. So grab a cup of tea, hang on for a ride into space and learn the secret of, uh, of MAHHH Dingy-Ding!

Includes a Moose / English glossary to help everyone follow the action.

Review:

I'm mixed on my review of this book, Miss Grace thought it was hilarious and loved it. 

As a parent, I'm all for books that keep my kid interested and reading, but the 'moose' language/grammar speak seems odd to me, when you have a series of books for kids. I could see where it could lead to mis-pronunciations during reading in class, and cause more issues for your child. So I would seriously recommend it for a child who is already a secure reader, and make sure that the moose language not English language connection is really stressed.

The story itself is quite cute, and the illustrations bright and kid friendly. I loved how Moose solved her own problems is a great lesson for kids. So we recommend it, but with some caveats!

About the Author:

Willy Claflin is an accomplished songwriter, guitarist, singer, and storyteller. He performs his tales across the nation, assisted by Maynard Moose, the last-known teller of ancient Mother Moose tales. Willy grew up an only child in the woods of New Hampshire and spent his childhood daydreaming and impersonating the local wildlife. The Maynard Moose series, co-authored by the Moose himself has won numerous awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award, Storytelling World Award and the NAPPA Gold Award. When he isn't performing, Willy resides in San Francisco, with his wife Jacqueline. 

About the Illustrator:

James Stimson is the illustrator of the award-winning series of Maynard Moose Tales and was both author and illustrator of Thirteen O'Clock. Also an accomplished animator, James has worked in feature film animation, notably James and the Giant Peach, as well as commercial illustration. When he isn't working, James lives in northern California.