Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
More zany fun as Moose muscles in on book about shapes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Just as he did in Z Is for Moose, buttinsky Moose (with his cat sidekick) just has to interrupt as the narrator identifies shapes and their real-world examples, such as circle and button, sandwich and square. First intrusion: Moose eats the sandwich. "Cute, but this is not an animal book," says the narrator. "It's a shape book. You both have to leave." But they don't. Soon Zebra, the referee from the previous book, shows up and says, "I'll handle this," and chases Moose across the pages, passing examples of shapes along the way (a picture frame, bathroom tile, and a checkers board for square; polka dots, a lollipop, and the sun for circle). Things get really crazy when they fall through a hole into outer space and find the last shape: a star.
Is It Any Good?
CIRCLE SQUARE MOOSE is wild and wacky like the previous Z Is for Moose and reprises some of its characters, such as the queen (who has diamonds in her crown) and the chaos-controlling Zebra. The Moose-Zebra friendship deepens, and underneath all the zaniness, there's solid information about shapes and where we see them in our world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about shapes. What things in the real world are the shape of a circle, a square, and a triangle?
Are funny books better than serious books? What's a favorite funny book you've read? What made it so good, the story or the character?
Do you know anyone like Moose, who's always acting silly and butting in? Do you like him or her anyway?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Paul O. Zelinsky
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Greenwillow Books
- Publication date : September 23, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate