Two Birds…and a Moose [Ready-to-Read]
by James Preller; illus. by Abigail Burch
Preschool, Primary    Simon Spotlight    32 pp.
8/24    9781665948791    $17.99
Paper ed.  9781665948784    $4.99
e-book ed.  9781665948807    $4.99

When Moose attempts to join a red bird and a blue bird high on a tree branch, new readers will spot the pattern: Moose tries jumping up into the tree with a pogo stick and crashes; Moose tries floating up on a balloon that pops. The economical text uses between two and twelve words per double-page spread. A handful of longer words (pardon, excuse) and phonetic challenges (“yowza!”) appear amid one-syllable words, so this is for readers who are tiptoeing into more advanced decoding. Illustrations use minimal lines and background details, bold images, and strong, solid colors, keeping a tight focus on plot and characters. The movement among spreads, panels, and spot art controls the pace, while the images bring most of the humor. The determination on Moose’s face on attempt number one, the realization of an error on attempt number two, and a confident calm by the third try are palpable. The birds (one sporting a fedora), well-meaning witnesses who provide no substantive support, are characters anyone with such ambitions, regardless of age, will recognize. They’ll also recognize the inevitable flip side of achieving one’s goals: “How do I get down from here?”

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.