Mark the Missing Moose
Lisa A. Tortorello, author
Michael Roque, illustrator
Tate Publishing
127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064
9781628542721, $9.99, www.amazon.com
"Mark the Missing Moose" is a sensitive, child -friendly book about dealing with loss, and learning to accept help and support from significant others. Jimmy is a boy who treasured sharing his close relationship with his trusted friend, Mark the stuffed moose. Mark went everywhere with him and shared most experiences with him, listening to his confidences. Jimmy enjoyed showing Mark to his class at Show and Tell, but afterwards a sad accident occurred. Mark was lost! Jimmy is shattered when he discovers Mark is not only missing, but has been destroyed by a mean neighbor's dog. Jimmy's sadness and anger overwhelm him and he is unable to communicate with his mom or accept comfort from her or others. Then one day at Show and Tell at school he learns another boy had a similar loss of a live pet, but he handled it differently. He had sad, angry, helpless feelings, but he managed to listen to his mother and to talk to her about how he felt. Gradually he learned to accept the pet's death and focus on his good memories of their time together. Jimmy learns from his friend's experience, deciding to open up to his mother and let her comfort him about his loss of Mark. "Mark the Missing Moose" is written in a gentle narrative, with lively color illustrations to cheer the pages. Children age 5 and up will benefit from the healing message of "Mark the Missing Moose."
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/dec_13.htm#rc
