A few things I know about Moose (Meese? Mooses?)

Did you know that...

Moose are HUGE!

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, weighing as much as 1200 pounds – a little bit more than a manhole cover plus a grand piano, a little bit less than a speedboat. They can grow to be 5 to 6.5 feet from hooves to shoulders. This does not include a raised head or antlers, so it's safe to say that moose tower over most people except, perhaps, Kevin Durant and Lebron James!

Moose eat A LOT!

With huge size comes a huge appetite. Moose are browsers and will casually devour 73 pounds of shrubs, woody plants, and aquatic vegetation a day in the summer – which is equal to the weight of 37,500 plain M&Ms, an average 11 year old boy or 300 kittens. In the winter they eat less; about 34 pounds – 560 pencils, the Stanley Cup or your microwave – worth of buds and twigs.

Moose are GREAT swimmers! Moose are naturally gifted swimmers, which, based on their giant bodies, long spindly legs and enormous, top-heavy antlers doesn't really seem possible. It's common, though, to see one hop right into a lake and swim across at up to 6 mph – as fast as a polar bear and faster than the fastest Olympic swimmer.

Moose star in some pretty WONDERFUL picture books! A few of our favorites are (in no particular order):

Moosey Moose by Chris Raschka - Moosey Moose is mad. Moosey Moose is throwing a tantrum! Why? Well, he wants his pants, of course. And not his short pants—his long pants! Toddlers will relate to Moosey Moose’s deceptively random pickiness and delight in his triumphant and surprising resolution. Chris Raschka’s witty, relatable humor lets children in on the joke and leaves everyone laughing!

This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris - MOOSE? Yes, Moose! When a movie director tries to capture the life of a moose on film, he's in for a big surprise. It turns out the moose has a dream bigger then just being a moose--he wants to be an astronaut and go to the moon.His forest friends step in to help him, and action ensues. Lots of action. Like a lacrosse-playing grandma, a gigantic slingshot into space, and a flying, superhero chipmunk. In this hilarious romp, Richard T. Morris and bestselling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld remind us to dream big and, when we do, to aim for the moon.

Too Many Moose! by Lisa Bakos - When Martha gets an unusual pet, she's delighted by all of the fun things they do together. If one moose is this marvelous, then more moose must be even better! Pretty soon, Martha has more moose than she can handle in this playful pet story.

Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit by Catherine Rayner - Ernest is a rather large moose with a rather large problem. He is so big he can't fit inside his book! Luckily, Ernest is also a very determined moose, and he and his little chipmunk friend aren't going to give up easily. With some tape, odd bits of paper, and plenty of enthusiasm, the pair constructs an enormous gatefold page by themselves, and everything fits together in the end.

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers - Wilfred is a boy with rules. He lives a very orderly life. It's fortunate, then, that he has a pet who abides by rules, such as not making noise while Wilfred educates him on his record collection. There is, however, one rule that Wilfred's pet has difficulty following: Going whichever way Wilfred wants to go. Perhaps this is because Wilfred's pet doesn't quite realize that he belongs to anyone. A moose can be obstinate in such ways. Fortunately, the two manage to work out a compromise. Let's just say it involves apples.

And... Coming in September...

The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater, Terry Fan, Eric Fan - Marco the fox has a lot of questions, like: how deep does the sun go when it sinks into the sea? And why do birds have such lizardy feet? But none of the other foxes share his curiosity. So when a magnificent ship adorned with antlers and with a deer for a captain arrives at the dock looking for a crew, Marco volunteers, hoping to find foxes who are as inquisitive as he is that can answer his questions. The crew (including a really swell Moose!) finds adventure and intrigue on their journey. And, at last, Marco finds the answer to his most important question of all: What’s the best way to find a friend