So I decided I love Oliver Jeffers. Any author who is also an illustrator makes it to the top tier, but he also named a Moose Marcel and named the moose's owner Wilfred (a little boy). I'm a fan. These illustrations are a crazy mix of different mediums, including oil, acrylic, computer enlarged photos, photos etc... and they're all whimsical and bright. They also have a crazy mix of ultra-realistic detail and childlike additions (like when a realistic mountain is painted in oil with a cutout crescent moon and white stars added in. The theme of how you treat a pet is a good one for all ages and not talked about in children's fiction much; this is usually non-fiction material. The author gets bonus points for the message that perhaps Wilfred never really owned the moose anyways, that pets have a right to have a mind of their own, and that being nice will get the love of your pet more easily than making demands and being controlling.I reread this book 3 times. Once to a class. I don't think it's one of those amazing books you can't forget, however there are good reasons to try this book. For one thing, the illustrations, a combination of painting, finger painting, collage, wallpaper, cutouts, handwritten and font texts, are fascinating. I wanted to try and understand how the illustrations where created (at the same time this could be a little distracting). The only complaint is the story, like the illustration, seems to take so many little tangential turns, the book lacks cohesion and the final message is a little lost and unclear.I would use it up to 3rd grade.
What do You think about This Moose Belongs To Me (2012)?
I love the voice of this character and the use of real and drawn elements for the illustrations.
—cristina
Just not for me, though I can appreciate how it might be great for others.
—AIDA
Virkelig fantastisk børnebog med så skønne illustrationer!
—moneymaker
