Z Is for Moose?

Picture book Z is for Moose, written by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, is a zany story of an impatient moose and his friend zebra, who is organizing an ABC presentation.  Published by Greenwillow Books in 2012, this book is one that is aimed at children ages 4-6, but children of all ages (including those just young at heart) will delight in this silly story, maybe even learning some letters of the alphabet along the way.  The book’s delightfully funny illustrations begin on the endpapers, where we see a moose holding up a curtain, standing in a line of animals before a zebra with a clipboard saying, “Okay, everyone. Let’s get ready.” We continue to be ushered into this world through the acknowledgement and title pages until we see an apple climbing a set of stairs to be the first feature in zebra’s alphabet show.  A, B, C…the book is moving along as expected until “D is for Moose,” a page on which a duck is falling off the back of the stage and zebra is scolding moose for being on the wrong page. The hijinks continue from there until zebra finds a way to work his friend into an unexpected place. While this is not necessarily an alphabet book for caretakers hoping for a clear illustration of each letter and a corresponding word with which to teach their children (the spread for O, P, and Q is trampled upon by a frustrated moose), the humor and unexpected nature of the story make it a fun read for storytime as children squeal with delight, “D is not for Moose!!”