Charlie Malarkey and the Singing Moose (Picture Puffins) - Softcover

Kennedy, William; Kennedy, Brendan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140545743 ISBN 13: 9780140545746

Publisher: Puffin Books, 1996

Synopsis

Charlie Malarkey and his friend Iggy rescue Barnaby, a singing moose with a magic necktie, from the clutches of his dastardly trainer

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-4-Charlie Malarkey and his friend Iggy Gowalowicz go to the circus, where they encounter Barnaby, a large singing moose. Barnaby wears a black necktie with white polka dots, which is what enables him to sing. The boys find it lying on the ground, and when they return it to him, they learn that he is being held captive by his trainer, Ralph T. Bungaroo. The two friends promise to help Barnaby and promptly embark on a complicated and wacky series of adventures. By the end of the story, the necktie has everything from a rubber kangaroo to a box of frozen fish singing, and Barnaby is free to go back to being "an ordinary moose who only sang in the shower." The writing is lively and clever, peppered with fractured song titles (such as "Mooses Robinson") that will be plain silly to most readers but will tickle adults reading the story aloud. Schindler's zany illustrations give texture to the story; they are loaded with action, and Barnaby is one appealing moose. Older children will enjoy the understated humor on their own, but this is also a fun romp for a one-on-one read aloud.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Ages 4-8. Charlie Malarkey returns, this time to help a singing moose with a major problem. Charlie and his friend Iggy meet Barnaby at the circus. A big hit with his renditions of songs such as "Fly Me to the Moose," Barnaby is nevertheless unhappy. For one thing, he owes his talent entirely to a very long polka-dot tie he must wear for every performance, and that tie is controlled by his employer, Ralph T. Bungaroo, a big meanie. When the tie falls into the boys' hands, all sorts of trouble ensues, not only for Charlie, Iggy, and Barnaby, but also for Max, Charlie's pet monkey, who now finds himself crooning love songs. There are some wonderfully wacky moments in this story by a father-son duo, but the tale goes on a tad too long. Younger kids especially might get a little squirmy. Fortunately, there's also some eye-opening art to hold their attention. Schindler does a particularly nice job with his Everyboy hero, Charlie, and detestable villain, Bungaroo. And of course, pictures of a giant moose wearing a black-and-white polka-dot tie singing "Meet Me Tonight in Mooseland" are hard to ignore. Ilene Cooper

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0140545743
• ISBN 13: 9780140545746
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32