Remember Moose and his motley crew? He’s hard to forget with that superhuman (supermoosian?) determination and antlers tuned toward mischief. Let me turn the reigns over to Tom Lichtenheld himself, so he can give you a look at his process, sketches, and creative problem solving. It’s a fascinating look at how an illustrator responds to an author’s manuscript, and a glimpse at the evolution of a picture book.
Welcome back, Tom!
When I receive a manuscript and like it, the first thing I do is start doodling. That initial moment of inspiration only comes once, so I try to capture the first images that pop into my head.
Then I start refining and exploring options.
The director was initially a raccoon, but a duck felt more manic.
I spent a lot of time on film sets during my career in advertising, so I know it’s a lot of hurry-up-and-wait.
No, giraffe don’t live in the woods, but I like to draw them, so a giraffe it is.
Lots of gags get left on the cutting-room floor, but it’s all part of the process.
Boom!
An idea revealing that the movie was actually made, which makes no sense.
First crack at a title page. 
(click to enlarge)
First version of the opening scene. The narrator was a monkey, and part of the scene. We quickly realized that the director had to be “off-camera” until the end.
First version of the spread where Director Duck realizes none of the animals are playing by the rules. I liked the simplicity of having only his eyes move, but it was a bit too subtle, so I changed it to his entire head looking from side to side.
(click to enlarge)
The Moosenest
Turning this marvelously manic manuscript into a logical sequence of pictures required complete immersion, so I made a foamcore enclosure around my desk, with only Moose material within my sight lines, and dubbed it The Moosenest. It sounds like a joke, but there’s a point in sketching out a book where you need to have the entire book suspended in your mind at once, so you can mentally move the pieces around without losing sight of any elements. It’s challenging, but one of my favorite parts of the process and I don’t think I could have done it for This Is A Moose without The Moosenest.
A marvelously manic manuscript with mayhem in the pictures. Thanks for letting us in to The Moosenest, Tom!
(I love that moose-like alien. I’m glad he got his day here.)
Tagged:
composition,
little brown,
process,
richard t. morris,
sketches,
this is a moose,
thumbnails,
tom lichtenheld 
My goodness what a busy week that was! I can't believe it's Friday again already!
I didn't manage to finish even half the work I hoped to get done, but I did get to go on a particularly wonderful school visit. Look at the lovely displays they made to welcome me:
So bright and cheery, aren't they? And lots and lots of my favorite characters :)
I was hoping to have a picture with the kids in it, but I didn't get it in time. Trust me - they were terrific, and super cute too :)
But now, it is time for a Perfect Picture Book! This is such a fun one! If you haven't had a chance to see it, trot right over to the library. It will make you laugh :)
Title: This Is A Moose
Written By: Richard T. Morris
Illustrated By: Tom Lichtenheld
Little Brown & Company, May 2014, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-8
Themes/Topics: being yourself, imagination, perseverance
Opening: "
This is the Mighty Moose. His father is a moose. His mother is a moose. This moose wants to be an astronaut. CUT!"
Brief Synopsis: Billy Waddler is making a film. A film about a moose. At least, it's supposed to be about a moose. But this moose simply will not conform to Billy's idea of what a moose should be. In fact, no one in this book is behaving the way they're supposed to. What's a filmmaker to do?
Links To Resources:
Fun facts about moose;
Classroom activities about moose, including a hands-and-feet moose poster and a make-your-own moose with moving parts;
Moose coloring pages;
Moose maze (there are other animal mazes, too); read and compare with Morris The Moose Goes To School by Bernard Wiseman; ask your kids or students what they want to be when they grow up.
Why I Like This Book: This book is colorful, engaging, and funny. The filmmaker is single-minded in his mission, and the other characters consistently frustrate him with their non-conformity, resulting in some great comedy :) The story is about characters who refuse to be pigeon-holed into stereotypical roles, and it carries the messages that you should be yourself no matter what, and that no one person's vision is more important than another's. The art is fabulous and includes many fun details that kids will enjoy exploring. I dare you not to love this book :)
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit
Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what delights you chose this week!
Have a GREAT Memorial Day weekend, everyone, and enjoy the day off Monday while we celebrate and give thanks for the brave men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion for their country. Although summer won't really begin for another month, Memorial Day always seems like the moment it arrives, so happy summer, everyone! :)
Director Billy Waddler thinks he's making a nature film about a moose, but the moose has other ideas. He wants to be an astronaut. With fresh, quirky art and a totally wacked-out story, This Is a Moose is hilarious — and surprisingly inspiring — fun. Books mentioned in this post This Is a Moose Richard [...]
By Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
published 2014 by Little, Brown and Company
This book has been out in the wild for a couple days now, and let me be the first to tell you to be sure to check the endpapers. Know a movie buff? A cinematographer? A dud with a digital camera? A moose with a dream? Do you have something important to say? Or do you just need a good laugh?
Well. Scoot over and share the lens with this crew.
From the publisher:
Lights! Camera! Moose!
MOOSE? Yes, Moose! When a movie director tries to capture the life of a moose on film, he’s in for a big surprise. It turns out the moose has a dream bigger then just being a moose–he wants to be an astronaut and go to the moon.
His forest friends step in to help him, and action ensues. Lots of action. Like a lacrosse-playing grandma, a gigantic slingshot into space, and a flying, superhero chipmunk.
In this hilarious romp, Richard T. Morris and bestselling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld remind us to dream big and, when we do, to aim for the moon.
I’m so honored to have an exclusive look at this cast of characters. And since they are straight off the set of the most spectacular documentary ever created, this is a real treat. This is nature behind the scenes.
How great is that?
Big thanks to Tom Lichtenheld and Faye Bi at Little, Brown for these mugshots and crew info. And if you liked this peek into the picture book, stay tuned for next week. More special features on the way!
Tagged:
richard t. morris,
special features,
this is a moose,
tom lichtenheld 
Remember Moose and his motley crew? He’s hard to forget with that superhuman (supermoosian?) determination and antlers tuned toward mischief. Let me turn the reigns over to Tom Lichtenheld himself, so he can give you a look at his process, sketches, and creative problem solving. It’s a fascinating look at how an illustrator responds to an author’s manuscript, and a glimpse at the evolution of a picture book.
When I receive a manuscript and like it, the first thing I do is start doodling. That initial moment of inspiration only comes once, so I try to capture the first images that pop into my head.
Then I start refining and exploring options.
The director was initially a raccoon, but a duck felt more manic.
I spent a lot of time on film sets during my career in advertising, so I know it’s a lot of hurry-up-and-wait.
No, giraffe don’t live in the woods, but I like to draw them, so a giraffe it is.
Lots of gags get left on the cutting-room floor, but it’s all part of the process.
Boom!
An idea revealing that the movie was actually made, which makes no sense.
First crack at a title page. 
(click to enlarge)
First version of the spread where Director Duck realizes none of the animals are playing by the rules. I liked the simplicity of having only his eyes move, but it was a bit too subtle, so I changed it to his entire head looking from side to side.
(click to enlarge)
