A roving, rhyming tale about three friends in search of the perfect new home. Giggles guaranteed! Moose, Goose, and Mouse need a new house, so they set off in search of one. But when their caboose comes loose, they're off on a wild adventure—with a perfect surprise waiting at the end. The rollicking story is a delight to read aloud, paired with boldly-colored, expressive illustrations. This zany friendship tale is sure to be a favorite. Author Mordicai Gerstein, Caldecott medalist, was a four-time New York Times best illustrated book winner. Moose, Goose, and Mouse is the culmination of the humor, wit, and joy that he brought to all of his books. A heartfelt letter from Jeff Mack, who worked with Gerstein to finish the art, celebrates the legacy of this talented artist. With fun rhymes, wordplay, and alliteration, Moose, Goose, and Mouse promotes foundational skills for young readers. Officially leveled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System, Moose Goose, and Mouse is a Level I book, perfect for late first-grade readers. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection 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. VERDICT A suggested purchase for all libraries, this title combines rhyming text that encourages identification of words by young readers and invites "all aboard!" for a thrill ride with a gleeful threesome.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TXα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "[A] buoyant and uncomplicated tale of animal hijinks related in bouncy read-aloud rhymes."— The Wall Street Journal ★ "The plot is simple, allowing the rhyming wordplay and illustrations to be the true stars of the show, combining into a sublime reading experience. Young readers who enjoy noodlehead stories and playing with language will delight in the goofy rhymes and zany story. . . . Madcap humor at its finest."— Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review "Simple sentences with predictable structures and plenty of rhyme will both support independent readers and make for comedic read-alouds. Fans of Jan Thomas’s picture books and Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie series will happily befriend this trio of whimsical creatures in their delightfully slapstick adventure." — The Horn Book "Gerstein's sweet-tempered, sunny view of life shines through this story of a group of creatures who promptly realize that what seems like a chaotic accident is actually the home they've been looking for."— Publishers Weekly "this title combines rhyming text that encourages identification of words by young readers and invites 'all aboard!' for a thrill ride with a gleeful threesome." —School Library Journal  "As  Moose, Goose, and Mouse  reaches its final destination, it carries the message that problems can be solved and that friendship--including Gerstein and Mack's--can lead somewhere beautiful. . . . a giddy runaway-train story powered by rhymes and daffiness."— Shelf Awareness Mordicai Gerstein (1935-2019) was the author and illustrator of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers , winner of the Caldecott Medal. Four of his books have been named New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. As a child, Gerstein was inspired by reproductions of fine art that his mother cut out of Life magazine and by children's books from the library: "I looked at Rembrandt and Superman, Matisse and Bugs Bunny, and began to make my own pictures." After attending Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, he was hired by an animated cartoon studio where he designed characters and thought up ideas for TV commercials. Jeff Mack is the author and illustrator of many books for young readers, including Just a Story , Hush Little Polar Bear , Good News, Bad News , and Clueless McGee . He has also illustrated award winning picture books and chapter books such as Eve Bu