*Review* Finley: A Moose on the Caboose by Candace Spizzirri

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: April 18, 2023

Pages: 32

"Rules are rules” and wild animals aren’t allowed on trains . . . or so says Conductor Jones.

Young adventurers will fall in love with Finley, a friendly moose with a toothy grin who wants nothing more than to ride the rails across Alaska and beyond. Prepare for giggles when Finley finds a costume shop and tries to pass for anything but wild, only to have Conductor Jones see right through these disguises. Fortunately, Finley has something Conductor Jones doesn’t see coming - heart and determination – showing us all that there are some rules in life that are meant to be changed.

With illustrations that capture both the essence of Finley’s spirit and the magic of an Alaskan railway adventure, Finley: A Moose on the Caboose is certain to be loved by anyone who dreams of making what seems impossible, possible.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a moose who just wants to ride the train that he has been greeting at the station every day for a long time. The adventures that the passengers talk about sound so fun to Finely, that he wants to go on his own adventures too. So he tries to sneak onto the train, but just the caboose. He doesn't want to be in the way, he just wants to go too. The conductor catches him over and over again, regardless of what type of disguise he wears, and every time he kicks him off. But the last time Finley plans on trying to ride, there's a tree trunk across the tracks, stopping all progress. And it was a good thing Finley was there, because he is big enough and strong enough to remove the trunk so the train can continue on its route with no further delays. From that day forward, the rules are changed so Finley can ride the train too. 

The illustrations were fun, seeing all the different disguises that Finley tries to get to ride the train. They were bright and colorful and kind of had me giggling at times. I also appreciated the message of the story. Just because something is a rule doesn't mean that rule is right, and we should challenge unjust rules, because that's how we can affect change. I would be okay reading this book a few times before I'd get too terribly tired of it and want to move onto something new. Overall I give this book 4.25 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Candace Spizzirri grew up in a small town in New Jersey with tree-lined streets and old Victorian houses. As a child, she spent hours playing at the park, catching minnows in a nearby stream, and exploring the woods at the end of her street. Passionate about education, Candace is a co-founder of an elementary and high school in southern California. She now splits her time between SoCal and Pennsylvania. Candace loves spending time with her husband, grown children, daughter-in-law, and five grandkids.

Candace's debut picture book, FISHING WITH GRANDPA AND SKYE, illustrated by Beverly Love Warren published by Clear Fork Publishing/Spork on April 19, 2022. Her second book, FINLEY: A MOOSE ON THE CABOOSE, illustrated by the multi-award-winning team of Chantelle & Burgen Thorne is set to release on April 18, 2023, with Gnome Road Publishing.

Learn more about Candace at candacespizzirri.com and follow her on Twitter at @CCSpizzirri1, on Instagram at @CCSpizzirri, and on Facebook at @CandaceSpizzirri.