Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

I had never seen this book before, but I really enjoyed it. I has a good message of sticking up for yourself and Thidwick is a very likeable fellow.

This is a story about how Thidwick the moose deals with some unwanted guests.

Thidwiwck is a moose with a big heart who hates to tell others no, so when an ant asks him to hitch a ride on his antlers Thidwick gladly welcomes him. It isn't long before several other creatures join and Thidwick finds himself being the host of 15 pests or more! However, he doesn't tell them to

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leave because they are his guests and that wouldn't be polite. Then, one day a group of hunters begin to shoot at Thidwick who tries to escape but has a difficult time due to the many animals living on his head. Just when Thidwick thinks there is nothing he can do, he remembers that it was about time for his old antlers to fall off so that new ones could grow. He sheds his old antlers and gives them to the pests so that they can keep there home, and everyone is happy.

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As someone who read Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose many times, I can say that this book teaches children that while it's okay to share, you should not let someone take advantage of you. It essentially teaches children that sharing and kindness should be kept within reason. When Thidwick, in his

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overly-generous spirit, lets everyone who asks live on his horns, he found himself unable to meet his own needs. He nearly dies when he cannot get the food he needs to survive the winter and flee a group of hunters. He also unknowingly relinquished his basic rights by not standing up for himself and putting his own survival first. Dr. Seuss wanted to teach the readers to not make the same mistakes that Thidwick made.

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Thidwick, The Big-Hearted Moose, by Dr. Seuss, is the story of a moose’s journey as he and his herd migrates south for the winter, and the characters he meets along the journey. Thidwick is very friendly and kind as he meets different animals who ask to catch a ride atop his horns. Unfortunately

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these guests, while continuing to grow in number, take advantage of poor Thidwick’s big heartedness. They overload the moose so much so that he can barely make it to the other side of the lake where he needs to go for food to eat. The book is full of fun colorful, rhyming language with large illustrations to follow. It is a fun read aloud with a great lesson of how someone’s graciousness should not be taken advantage of.

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Summary:In this story by Dr. Seuss, Thidwick, a moose, finds himself in a sticky situation. At first, a bug asked if he could rest on Thidwick’s horns and of course Thidwick said yes. He was happy to have a guest and didn’t mind hosting the bug for a little while. However, before Thidwick knew

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it, he had more guests than he anticipated and he didn’t know how to politely turn them away. Eventually, Thidwick was hosting many different species who were taking advantage of his thorns. For example, one bird picked out the hairs on his head to make a nest out of them. This bird didn’t even ask Thidwick if it was okay, instead he told him that they will grow back eventually. Each time something like this happened or another guest appeared, Thidwick was too polite to say anything. His moose friends decided that they didn’t want to hang out with Thidwick because of all his guests and left him without anyone. Thidwick wasn’t able to find any food either because it was across a river that his guests wouldn’t let him cross. Consequently, some hunters came and tried to get Thidwick for his horns. Thidwick wasn’t able to outrun them since he had so much weight on his horns. Luckily, he was growing new horns so his old ones fell off just in time to let him cross the river and get away from the hunters.

Review: I thought this book was well written and had a great message behind the story. This book clearly showed the main message that people shouldn't be greedy when something is offered to them and that it is important to be considerate of others. In this case, the guests on Thidwick’s horn were not being considerate of him; they were taking advantage of his horns without asking him if it was okay. For example, a woodpecker pecked holes throughout Thidwick’s horns and then offered to let a family of squirrels live in them. Each time a new guest arrived it was because the other animals told them it was okay to live there without asking Thidwick. Dr. Seuss clearly illustrated that this was taking a toll on Thidwick; his friends left him, he had no food, and he was getting tired with all the weight on him. I think the ending was well deserved though because Thidwick was able to get away from the hunters and to the other side of the river to get food. Overall, this book showed how it is important to not take advantage of someone and to be considerate of their feelings.

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Interesting lesser-known Seuss parable about hunting and kindness, with a little "Harvard Club" local color thrown in.

Well gosh. I think the uninvited 'horn-guests' would have been better off if they'd been (politely) asked to leave. Thidwick shouldn't be teaching kids to be a doormat! And please note, these are antlers, not horns. Antlers shed & regrow annually, horns are permanent.

This is such a lovely story about 'big-heartedness' - recommended for children of all ages!

Interesting lesser-known Seuss parable about hunting and kindness, with a little "Harvard Club" local color thrown in.

The first in my Dr. Seuss rereads. I bet I haven't touched a Dr. Seuss book since I was a kiddo. The rhyme, meter, and wordplay is just off-the-charts awesome. (I know, I know, I'm discovering America here.) The end of this one though. Ooof. A little harsh. (But maybe not if you're six?)