The Moose at the Manger Christmas Sale!

From now until Christmas it's the

2 for $10 Sale and Shipping is Free!

What do you get for $10.00?  The Moose at the Manger Storybook (which includes a free audiobook download) and The Moose at the Manger Coloring Book!  I will autograph them and ship them anywhere is the USA. Shipping is on me this ChristMOOSE season!

~Signed, sealed, and delivered - all for $10.00~

                                         When Muse the Moose accidently wanders off from her family, she becomes lost in the forest.  She luckily finds a friend in Star Bright, the brightest star in the sky, who leads her on a fantastic journey. When Muse becomes The Moose at the Manger, she realizes her most important journey is yet to come.

Questions or Comments?  Feel free to leave a comment on my blog or email me directly at lisatortsbook@ameritech.net

It's ChristMOOSE time...a MOOSE wonderful time for books!

Books make wonderful stocking stuffers!   You can place an order from now until December 17, 2015 to guarantee Christmas delivery!

~Place all orders at the bottom of this page~

About the Book- The Moose at the Manger

When Muse the Moose accidentally wanders off from her family, she becomes lost in the forest. She luckily finds a friend in Star Bright, the brightest star in the sky, who leads her on a fantastic journey. When Muse becomes The Moose at the Manger, she realizes her most important journey is yet to come.

Moose at the Manger Items 

Teacher's Guide with Answer Key 
 $8.00

Paperback Edition -
$8.00

                                                                                             

(Buy both the Paperback Edition and the Teacher's Guide for just $14.00)

Coloring Book (moose and crayons not included) -
$5.00

T-Shirts 
(Don't forget to order the right size!)
$10.00

Gift Set: 

Includes - 1 T-shirt, 1 paperback book, 1 coloring book

All for the low price of $20.00

3-D Edition (with glasses) 
$9.00

About the Book - Mark the Missing Moose

Jimmy was on cloud nine during Show and Tell when his classmates cheered for him and his best friend, Mark the Moose.  That happiness quickly ended when Mark went from being Jimmy's sidekick to becoming the missing moose. Saddened and angry, Jimmy didn't want to talk to anyone, not even his own mother.  His best friend was gone and he was all alone! When it was time for Show and Tell again, Jimmy didn't want any part of it until he heard what his friend Joe had to say.  Follow Jimmy as he discovers that opening up and letting others in can really help him out.

Mark the Missing Moose Items

Paperback Edition 
 $8.00

Teacher's Edition 
 $8.00

                                                                                                                        

(Buy both the paperback Edition and the Teacher's Guide for just $14.00)

About the Book - My Hero, My Ding

‘I awoke in the darkness listening to the sound of a jack hammer.  After a few moments, I realized it was me, the jack hammer, my heart.   Fear engulfed me and I remained still wondering why my heart was pounding so heavily in my ears.  Where was I?  The room was dark, and except for the throbbing of my heart, silence ensued.’

Even though they were hundreds of miles apart at the time, the message of her grandfather’s death reached her in a dream.

My Hero, My Ding tells the poignant story of Lisa and her grandfather and the overwhelming bond they shared.  You’ll find yourself captivated with love, and find yourself gaining a deeper understanding of life-lessons. Experience the antics that were shared and discover the respect and affection between two ordinary people with an extraordinary connection.

My Hero, My Ding Items

My Hero, My Ding Paperback
 $9.00

Teacher's Edition with Answer Key
 $12.00

    (Buy both the paperback Edition and the Teacher's Guide for just $18.00)

Place orders here: 

The Moose at the Manger Items

Paperback Book $8.00 USD Teacher's Guide $8.00 USD SET: Paperback Book AND Teacher's Guide $14.00 USD Coloring Book $5.00 USD T-shirts $10.00 USD GIFT SET: 1 T-shirt, 1 Paperback Book, 1 Coloring Book $20.00 USD 3-D Edition with Glasses $9.00 USD

Size for T-shirt

None Adult - Small Adult - Medium Adult - Large

Name on Autograph

E-mail for Teacher's Guide

Mark the Missing Moose Items

Paperback Book $8.00 USD Teacher's Guide $8.00 USD SET: Paperback Book AND Teacher's Guide $14.00 USD

Name on Autograph

Email for Teacher's Guide

My Hero, My Ding Items

Paperback Book $9.00 USD Teacher's Guide $12.00 USD SET: Paperback Book AND Teacher's Guide $18.00 USD

Name on Autograph

Email for Teacher's Guide

Please Note: When ordering a Teacher's Guide, please include your email address for the delivery of the PDF files. Thanks!

Questions or Comments?  Special Orders? Contact me at

lisatortsbook@ameritech.net

A MOOSE wonderful wish!

Muse the Moose hopes that you are filled with wonder and awe this Christmas season!

Hats off to Sacred Heart School for their superb performance of The Moose at the Manger!

 

 Usually, the moose take turns writing the blog posts here, but they were happy to let me, Lisa,  say a few words today.

 I must give a HUGE shout out to Sacred Heart School for their beautiful rendition of The Moose at the Manger.  Everyone  - teachers and students alike - put in hours of practice to put on a flawless Christmas program for their school community and families.  I was honored to be asked to read my story while the students sang fitting Christmas songs throughout the book.  It was very touching to see the students recreate the manger scene and when they had Muse join in and stand next to the donkey looking at baby Jesus with respect and reverence, love certainly surrounded all those who were there.  The pageant was performed in church which certainly brought home the true meaning of Christmas.

Thank you for bringing The Moose at the Manger to life!

I saw many people with cameras...if anyone could share their photos/video,  I would be very proud to showcase them here!

What a nice surprise!

I received a message the other day from newspaper columnist Kevin Bradley telling me to keep an eye out in The Shopper because he wrote a PART 2 about my books.  I was pleasantly surprised.  As Bradley writes, " Giving a child the gift of a book can help them develop a lifelong interest in literature, expanding their imagination and stimulating their mind."  I couldn't have said it better myself.  Thanks Kevin!

Original Article in The Shopper written by Kevin Bradley - 
http://www.shoppersource.com/articles/2013/12/10/columnists/bradley/120413-bradley.txt

"Chicago School Teacher, Lisa Tortorello first ventured into the world of writing with a memoir (My Hero, My Ding) detailing the special relationship she had with her grandfather growing up. Her subsequent inspirations have developed into a children’s book series with two installments published and a third in the thought process.

Lisa has long loved the moose. She and her husband, Charlie, share their home with dozens of the creatures in stuffed animal form, providing plenty of ‘moosespiration’ (inspiration derived from moose) for her storybooks. Mark the Missing Moose and The Moose at the Manger are written for children in kindergarten to grade four or five, although Lisa says, “Sometimes my sixth graders also like the books and their message.”

The Moose at the Manger is a Christmas story, published in June of 2012, featuring a moose lost in the forest who follows a Christmas star and sees Jesus. Mark the Missing Moose is inspired by real life events, but toned down to children’s level. It is a story to help kids understand dealing with a loss. These titles are available at www.amazon.com, or by purchasing signed copies direct from the author, available at her moose blog, musethemoose.blogspot.com.

After Lisa has completed a story and self-edited; she then submits it to her publisher, Tate Publishing, who edits the story for grammar or content issues, returning the manuscript to Lisa for revisions. Following the editing and revision process, Lisa is paired with one of Tate’s illustrators, who, Lisa says, “Have done a wonderful job of bringing my stories to life.”

Lisa also has a marketing representative, assigned by Tate, who helps find local events for her to do book signings and helps her market her books on the internet; but the reality is: In today’s world of decreased marketing budgets among publishers, the bulk of this duty lies with the author. This is why Lisa ranks marketing highest on her current priority list as an author. She sells more paperbacks than electronic editions, and mostly during face to face events.

Giving a child the gift of a book can help them develop a lifelong interest in literature, expanding their imagination and stimulating their mind. A signed book can make the gift a little extra special. Helping kids develop good habits and find inspiration is a lasting and positive influence. Questions or comments may be sent to kevinbradley@columnist.com. Good luck, K.B."

There is just one slight addition to this article - as my regular readers know, the amount of moose we have is well over a dozen dozen- 

This is where my "moosepiration"' comes from!

If you missed Part 1, you can read it on The Shopper website by clicking this link -

http://www.shoppersource.com/articles/2013/12/10/columnists/bradley/111313-bradley.txt

The Moose at the Manger Wins!

We were out of town when this exciting news was released, but all of us moose are just bursting to share the great news with you! Our book, The Moose at the Manger,  was picked  for 

The 2013 KART Kids Book List Award!

Click here to visit the KART website and view the whole list of winners! http://www.kartkidsradio.com/WKKR-DB/KKBL.html

This definitely meets with our 

Live and On Stage!

It has been a long time coming but Valentine's Day is a great day to share my love of reading with my love of music.  Here is a clip of Musichorale's Christmas concert where The Moose at the Manger was featured.  The director, Jeff Silhan, did a remarkable job picking music that enhanced my story and the choir was magnificent!  Afterwards, we heard people describe the show as "high class", "very professional" and "the best one ever" (which is saying a lot since the choir has been singing 66 years)!

Take a few minutes to relax and enjoy the show!

Enjoyed the clip?  We would love to hear what you think?  Leave a comment if you can!

I love to READ and I love FREE...so I put the two together this month just for you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Place an order today!

Books, coloring books, and t-shirts all ready to ship for $1.00 per item! 

Be sure to include your email address so I can send you your Teacher's Guide/Teacher's Companion FREE!

Just click HERE to place an order!

For more information you can email me directly at lisatortsbook@ameritech.net

On Stage Pictures! Come, take a look!

 

We were very excited to get the DVD of the big on-stage debut of The Moose at the Manger.  The pictures below are taken from the DVD and that is why they are so grainy.  We are working hard at getting an excerpt or two from the DVD to share with you, so you can hear part of our story and the beautiful choir that helped add such beauty and majesty to our book! Enjoy!

On the BIG screen

Musichorale Choir

A special M for a special moose! (Actually that is Musichorale's symbol.)

On the BIG screen

On the BIG screen

On the BIG screen

Special Effects

Special Effects

Moo and the Moose Kids at the reading of The Moose at the Manger

Our Moo!

Our Moo and Jeff, the director of Musichorale

"The Moose at the Manger" Made the Midwest Book Review

What a great way to end the year and begin 2013!  I was thrilled to see that The Moose at the Manger made it into the Midwest Book Review!  Read on to see what they have to say about Muse the Moose!

The review is reprinted below for easier reading!

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/index.html


The Moose at the Manger
Lisa A. Tortorello, author
Caleb, Irwin, illustrator
Tate Publishing
127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064
9781618629166 $8.99 www.tatepublishing.com

"The Moose at the Manger" is a creative version of the Nativity as seen through the eyes of a moose named Muse. Muse was told the Christmas story by her parents while making a cold winter's journey with her brothers under the stars. Dazzled by the story of the gift of the Christ Child and the glittering stars, Muse becomes separated from her parents and lost. Her crying is comforted by a new fine friend, Star Bright, the brightest star in the sky. Star Bright takes Muse on a special journey across many faraway places, which she assures Muse will end restoring her to her parents, enriched and happy with her new experiences. Finally, magically, Muse is brought to the stable and the manger where the Christ Child is born, and she joyfully and respectfully bows her head in adoration. Star Bright then leads Muse back to her father and mother and family, where she shares her wonderful story as moose witness to the birth in the manger of the Christ child. Perfect for young children age 5 and up, "The Moose at the Manger" come with a free audio digital book download, and a complete digital entertainment package.

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/dec_12.htm#Christmas

From all of us to all of you...

We wish you a very Merry ChristMOOSE filled with hope, happiness, and love!

15 Minutes of Fame...Part Two: The Transport

Now that we had our 65 moose picked and ready to go, we had to figure out how to get them to the auditorium. The most popular suggestion made was to just throw them all in to big black plastic garbage bags. When we asked the moose, they certainly didn't like that idea. Next, we thought we could use the clown car idea, but believe it or not, our car wasn't big enough.

Finally, we came up with a plan!  We had to drive two cars to our concert that night. My husband and his drums went in one car (and a couple of moose for company), and I drove separately with the rest of the moose.  Here they are getting ready for their road trip.

Believe it or not, there was just enough room for me in the driver's seat. 

Stay tuned for a Part Three: Moose on Stage!

15 Minutes of Fame...Part One: The Try-Outs

It has certainly been a busy time of year for us moose!  Who would have thought that a room full of moose in a quiet house on a quiet street would get so much attention.  This past Sunday was our BIG Musichorale concert!  The first decision to be made was which moose got to be on stage.  As much as we would have all loved to be there we understood that 200+  moose can be quite intimidating.  

We first went through our two-step  "Moose Try-outs"

Step One- Deciding which moose was big enough to be seen at a distance, but wasn't too big to take over the other stage decorations

 and

Step Two-  Demonstrating which of us moose could sit up by ourselves

Once that was completed our group of 65 was chosen.

Here are some pictures from our try-outs.

Stay tuned for Part Two of 15 Minutes of Fame...The Packing of the Moose!

Between now and January 1, 2013, 50% of all books sold will be donated to the Musichorale Scholarship Fund.  Stock up now with these great gift ideas and help a great cause all at once.  
http://musethemoose.blogspot.com/p/christmas-extravagana.html