If the S in Moose Comes Loose by Peter Hermann, Matthew Cordell
Published by HarperCollins on March 13th 2018
ISBN: 0062295101
Pages: 48
Goodreads

“If the S in MOOSE comes loose” is written by Peter Hermann and illustrated by Matthew Cordell. This is a silly book (in the best way). Cow and Moose are friends, but one day Moose’s letter S comes loose and the E becomes free. Cow is now left only with a MOO. Desperate to fix her friend, she takes letters from other words to make some glue so she can stick the S and E back onto MOO. A bunch of letters get taken and mixed up and it leads to hilariousness. Eventually though, Cow gets her Moose back together.

Aimed at children grades Pre-K through 3, most of the humor comes from the spelling, but younger children will appreciate the rhyming and silly story. Adults will probably enjoy it too. I guffawed when the BEAR in the CHAIR got his B and C taken and became an EAR sitting on HAIR. The illustrations are frantic looking watercolor sketches similar to Quentin Blake’s work and they give the book a hurried and funny tone, which is perfect. This book would be a good purchase for children learning to spell, or who are learning their letters. Not necessarily a “must-buy,” but a fun addition to your picture book collection.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook.