''A Moose for Jessica'' is a 1987

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

children's book about a

moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...

named Josh who loved a cow called Jessica. The story is told by Pat A. Wakefield and is illustrated with photographs by Larry Carrara, the owner of the cow. In 1986, Josh turned up at a farm in

Shrewsbury, Vermont Shrewsbury is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for the Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. Th ...

, and began to show decided attraction toward Jessica, a Hereford cow. He stayed in the vicinity for 76 days. The visit of the moose inspired media attention and attracted tens of thousands of people to the area.

Reception

''Kirkus Reviews'' described the book as "unique, fascinating, and delightful." ''The New York Times Book Review'' commented: "This quiet, unpretentious story has the magic of credibility thanks to Pat A. Wakefield's simple, intelligent writing, enhanced by wonderful photographs."Quoted on

Picture Puffin Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...

edition book cover It was named as an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by the

National Science Teachers Association The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), founded in 1944 (as the National Science Teachers Association) and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science teachers in the United States and is the largest organization ...

and as one of the year's best books by ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

''.

References

External links

Mooseworld: Photographing Moose in Winter
contains a photo of Josh and notes 1987 children's books Children's non-fiction books American picture books Dutton Children's Books books Books about Vermont Shrewsbury, Vermont Nature photography Children's books about cattle Children's books about deer and moose Children's books set in Vermont {{child-picture-book-stub