Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose

Locations
Call Number: E SEU, Kids Book / Picture Books / General / Seuss, Dr
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Youth level.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

"All stuffed, as they should be"? submitted by FordAlpha on August 24, 2017, 8:20pm This is a cautionary tale written in verse, relating the case of a moose whose generosity to one small bug leads to a major problem with squatters on his antlers. My kids (3, 5) love it and want it read over and over; the verse and illustrations are pure Seussian delight. Nevertheless, it's not among my favorites; I find the moral messages ambiguous. I suppose that the take-home message should be "don't be a mooch like the pests," but it also could be "don't be a pushover like Thidwick", which is problematic. Thidwick's abandonment by his friends is also troubling. I'm not just overthinking a kids' story: the human parallels are so obvious that my young kids picked up on them and told me all about them without my pointing them out in any way. Also, all's well that ends well for Thidwick, but the other animals' fate, however amusing in rhyme, doesn't seem right, especially with my kids readily likening the story to human behavior.