Description

Ernest is a rather large moose with a rather large problem. He is so big he can't fit inside his book! Luckily, Ernest is also a very determined moose, and he and his little chipmunk friend aren't going to give up easily. With some tape, odd bits of paper, and plenty of enthusiasm, the pair constructs an enormous gatefold page by themselves, and everything fits together in the end.

About the Author

Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. She fell in love with the city and still lives there with a small menagerie of creatures: Shannon the horse, Ena the grey cat, goldfish Sheila and a speckly black and tan guinea pig called Marvin.

She finds huge inspiration in her pets and often uses them as models, frequently asking Ena to pose so that she can study her posture and movement. Then she translates sketches of Ena into characters such as dragons and hares, not to mention moose and bears! But it was creatures of a wilder kind that inspired her first picture book, Augustus and His Smile - Catherine spent hours and hours watching and sketching tigers (in freezing temperatures) at Edinburgh Zoo.

And it must have paid off, because in 2006 Catherine won the Best New Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years Awards and was also shortlisted for the V&A Illustration Awards 2006. Augustus and His Smile was then selected as one of five picture books to be recommended on Channel 4's 'Richard and Judy Christmas Party' in December of that year. Since then, Augustus and His Smile has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, the 'Read it Again' Cambridgeshire Picture Book Award, the English 4-11 Award 2007 and the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book awards (0-7 category) 2007.

Meanwhile, this year Catherine has been selected as one of the ten best new illustrators for Booktrust's 'Big Picture Campaign' , which is an initiative designed to put picture books firmly in the public eye.

She is also currently shortlisted for the 2008 Dundee City of Discovery Picture Book Award, and the Norfolk Libraries Children's Book Award.

Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. She fell in love with the city and still lives there with a small menagerie of creatures: Shannon the horse, Ena the grey cat, goldfish Sheila and a speckly black and tan guinea pig called Marvin.

She finds huge inspiration in her pets and often uses them as models, frequently asking Ena to pose so that she can study her posture and movement. Then she translates sketches of Ena into characters such as dragons and hares, not to mention moose and bears! But it was creatures of a wilder kind that inspired her first picture book, Augustus and His Smile - Catherine spent hours and hours watching and sketching tigers (in freezing temperatures) at Edinburgh Zoo.

And it must have paid off, because in 2006 Catherine won the Best New Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years Awards and was also shortlisted for the V&A Illustration Awards 2006. Augustus and His Smile was then selected as one of five picture books to be recommended on Channel 4's 'Richard and Judy Christmas Party' in December of that year. Since then, Augustus and His Smile has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, the 'Read it Again' Cambridgeshire Picture Book Award, the English 4-11 Award 2007 and the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book awards (0-7 category) 2007.

Meanwhile, this year Catherine has been selected as one of the ten best new illustrators for Booktrust's 'Big Picture Campaign' , which is an initiative designed to put picture books firmly in the public eye.

She is also currently shortlisted for the 2008 Dundee City of Discovery Picture Book Award, and the Norfolk Libraries Children's Book Award.

Praise For…

“Similar in concept to last year's Big Frog Can't Fit In by Mo Willems, ERNEST, THE MOOSE WHO DOESN'T FIT centers on an animal too big for his [book] binding. . . In Catherine Rayner's work, a single chipmunk with a crafty streak helps Ernest build a fold-out page from paper scraps and masking tape. . . . The illustrations are charming.” —Time Out New York Kids

“Rayner captures beautifully the bulk and awkwardness of Ernest's massive body and the nervous movements of the chipmunk; even smallest children will greet their antics with giggles.” —Publishers Weekly

“The simple plot marries perfectly with the large-scale, highly tactile drawings and oversize font to create a winning book that children will beg to see and hear again and again, whether lap-sitting or in a group. Brilliant!” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“The language is engaging and inventive. Concepts of friendship, enterprise and collaboration all shine in this very appealing import from Scotland that should delight little (and big) listeners.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Determination, problem-solving and friendship are the themes woven into the latest creation by British author-illustrator Catherine Rayner. . . . Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit captures the magic that can happen when someone is willing to think outside the box. . . . Ernest the moose is large. So large, in fact, that he can't even fit into his own book. With the aid of his buddy, a resolute chipmunk, Ernest endeavors to ‘shimmy, shift and shuffle' his way onto the page. Continued maneuverings are unsuccessful, but Ernest's "little friend" has an idea. A roll of masking tape, a pile of paper and a whole lot of time lead the dogged duo to ‘crinkle, crumple and stick' their way to a solution. . . .Preschool and school-aged children alike will be delighted by the ingenuity of Rayner's characters. . . . Both children and adults feel out of place and awkward at times, and it is reassuring to imagine that with persistence we, like Ernest, can ‘fit in perfectly.'” —Jennifer Robinson, BookPage