Moose on a Mission

Gr 2-4–Agent Moose, aka Anonymoose, meets his parachuting grandma in time to receive a new mission from headquarters. Animals are not only being robbed—they are being intimidated out of naming the perpetrator. Anonymoose, his trusty sidekick Owlfred, and his grandma question victims, dodge traps, and don disguises to discover and foil the mysterious villain. While the premise will entice readers, elements of the book may present challenges. Many characters are verbose, sometimes filling panels with large word balloons, including larger words. References to “James Bond” and “Mission Impossible,” while fitting the spy angle, could easily go over young readers’ heads. Still, courage and ingenuity win the day in this story, as do Bradley’s exuberant illustrations, with unflappable smiling faces on most of the animal characters.