Moose, Goose, and Mouse

PreS-K–“Moose, Goose, and Mouse had a house," where the roof leaks every time it rains. Patches show on rickety ceilings and walls, and water drips endlessly into anything that holds water: a tub, a pot, a bucket, a boot, or a cup. The house is wet, old, and moldy. All three shiver with cold, wishing earnestly for a sunny, funny house (or even one with a bunny). And so they decide to take a train in the rain to look for a new home. Ink, pencil, and watercolor illustrations on paper and digital collage feature the trio of whimsical cartoon figures in scenes that invite readers to investigate detail and allow questions and inference. The three board a train caboose headed up a steep slope, but suddenly a bow-tied rope connecting the car gives way. Off runs the loose caboose to the right, compelling readers to turn the page. A line of text follows the trio as a creative twist on a normal train ride resembles a roller coaster out of control—visual momentum of text and caboose up and down, up and down, over hill and downhill until movement stops in a sunny, happy place where all feel at home.