Friday, February 7, 2014

Review: Honk the Moose by Phil Strong and Kurt Wiese

Synopsis: Based on a true story from Biwabik, Minnesota, it tells to story of Honk the Moose and how he came to live in the town. One very cold winter, a hungry Moose wanders in the livery owned by Ivar's family. It's up to Ivar and his friend Waino to convince the town to let Honk the Moose stay - but will the town agree or will they shoot him? Woven into the story is also the description of the lives of Finnish immigrants during the 1930s.

Review: This is a pleasant, amusing book. I enjoyed it. I liked how Strong gave us both Ivar's perspective and Honk's perspective - and the hilarious and crazy way the townsfolk responded to a moose in their midst! It enjoyed the cultural thread too - explaining how Ivar is a second generation Finnish immigrant and I liked how Strong showed the integration of American and Finnish ways. The story is light and funny and full of adventure. The illustrations by Kurt Wiese suit the story perfectly and made me chuckle on more than one occasion. I highly recommend this book. It would be excellent to read out loud to children - in particular because the Moose got his name from the sounds he makes!

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: Newbery Honor, 1936. Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1970

ISBN: 978-1930650367
Date Finished: 2-6-2014
Pages: 80

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