Circle, Square, Moose

PreS-Gr 2—Bingham's irrepressible protagonist from Z Is For Moose (Greenwillow, 2012) and his long-suffering friend Zebra return in this hilarious book about shapes. The offstage narrator begins quite serenely, introducing common shapes represented by everyday objects like a button and a sandwich. When Moose swipes the square but apparently delicious sandwich, the narrator objects but forges ahead to triangles (a wedge of cheese or a piece of pie). Dressed in his striped jersey, Moose cheerfully points out that a cat's ears are also triangular. Unfortunately, this is not a book about animals, and Moose and the feline are asked to leave. Undeterred, Moose continues to insert himself into the following pages showcasing rectangles and diamonds. Suddenly, Zebra, sporting his referee's shirt, appears to handle the situation. Despite Zebra's efforts, Moose and his feline companion continue to barge through the parade of shapes. They dash by a wall of square bathroom tiles and knock over a checkerboard. Eventually, Moose tangles Zebra in a long, curvy ribbon, but they manage to make their escape through a circular hole in the ground. Fed up, the narrator tells them, "You can finish this book YOURSELVES." The friends come up with a gratifying conclusion using Zebra's favorite shape, the star. Zelinsky sets Moose's antics against colorful, geometric backgrounds. He cleverly portrays the characters cavorting in and out of the energetic mixed-media illustrations. For a laugh-filled story hour, pair this title with Doreen Cronin's equally zany Click Clack Moo (S. & S., 2000).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA