Happy As Your Moose
Happy As Your Moose, Doris Brocke, Photography by Doris Brocke and Dale Brocke. Brocke House Enterprises (ISBN: 9780991835539) 2026.
Summary: A children’s book with stunning photography showing moose feeding on a variety of plants in every season.
Several years ago, Doris Brocke reached out to me from her home in British Columbia, asking if she could send me her Character in the Garden book for review. A coffee-table style book arrived filled with lush nature photography of the gardens and woods near her home, coupled with quotes about character. More recently, she sent me two books, ABC Munchkins, a delightful illustrated alphabet book of fascinating creatures munching their way through fruits and vegetables from A to Z. The other was this book, Happy As Your Moose. One thing I would note about all three books is the joy they brought to my heart as I looked at the text and images.
This book features incredible photographs of moose, either singly or in groups of two or three. In most, they “Nibble, Munch, Browse” as the subtitle suggests. One of the fascinating things I noticed was the diversity of their diet. They eat pear tree leaves, spruce and poplar twigs, rose hips, golden canola, green peas, berries, birch leaves, chard, spinach, and kale, and so much more.
Not only do the photographs capture their diet but also what majestic creatures they are, up close. We see eyes, ears, their elongated snout, nostrils, teeth–and sometimes the glimpse of a smile. Then we see them, both at rest and running in the snow. In addition, one of the photographs shows one moose sniffing one of the photographers hands. From the number of close-up shots, it appears there is a great deal of trust between animals and photographers. Also, many appear on their property with arbors, barns, garden tools as well as in their gardens!
Doris Brocke’s text provides helpful narrative to help children identify what they are seeing. For example, the book opens with “happy as your moose/munching on green pear tree leaves/nibble, nibble ~ yum!”
In sum, we see not only happy moose in all seasons. As parents and children page through and read Brocke’s narration, we enter into the happiness and wonder. And in the end, you are “happy as your moose”!
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for review.