This is my  second book written by Catherine Rayner. It is beautifully illustrated and tells a wonderful story in a few words.

As a writer, who cannot draw, I look at this book enviously. This is a book that can be written only by a illustrator-writer. It is a concept fully developed and executed with simplicity.

The book talks about how friends can fight and break up – but they miss each other. We have a lot of polar bear stories – this one is definitely one of my favourite ones.

For one, I love the names of the characters.
Then the simple illustrations, that draw us to the two bears.
A simple plot for young children.

It is also a harder concept to teach very young children. The younger ones might just read this or listen to this for the pleasure of the illustrations. It would strike a cord with  kids with siblings.

A universal theme, familiar animals, brilliant illustrations – a joy to read.

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I always enjoy reading book about books. It kind of breaks the myth – treats the book out of its original role. It makes the book participate in the reading of the story.

Usually stories are written in books. The book itself is just a vehicle. But when you start reading about books, about that specific book in the book, then it is as if the author is using the book as a character. The child can no longer ignore the book itself. The child then wants to turn the pages, look at the cover, touch the title, look for hidden clues. The experience becomes more tactile.

Echoing David Fickling’s words in a recent talk I attended – books are to be touched. Yes, I have the kindle software on my tablet and yes I buy books on Kindle – but somehow it doesn’t give me the satisfaction of flipping the pages,  folding a page in to mark my position, finishing it and reading about the author.

Kindle is like fast-food to me. Convenient, easy to carry around. Easy to store. But what is more sexy – having a book-case full of interesting books or a drab-looking grey coloured plastic thing that presumably has 200 books in it. You cannot find out about a person from their kindle. Well, perhaps yet another way of society hiding behind technology.

I digress. I have meandered on to a different topic reserved for another day.

Coming back to Ernest- he is a moose.

So what?

He is different – there are so many books about bears, monkeys and pigs in the UK. Perhaps more Moose stories in the United States. I am not sure. But for the average UK child, Moose is a new animal.
Did you know it is big?

Read Ernest and you will find out.

Does he have a friend?

Of course he does. But his friend is different from him.

In this case, the friend solves the problem – not sure how that sits with regular rule of “let the protagonist solve the problem.” But then Catherine Rayner is a big name and surely some rules are allowed to be broken.

Then of course, together they solve Ernest’s problem. How does it relate to a book? Well, you have to read and find out.

But it is a fun picture book with  novelty added – like some paper art. The illustrations are gorgeous. And the Moose is happy in the end.

Very few words, showcasing the illustrations more. The story is fully in the pictures.

Kids would love to do some paper craft work,  after they read this book.

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