(courtesy Penguin Books Australia)
We’ve all been there.
A great job presents itself, we know we can do it so we throw everything into landing it, only to discover that maybe it wasn’t the right fit after all.
But is that the end of the story always? Not necessarily; sometimes the fact that you’re so passionate and dedicated to the idea of the role you’re simply not right for captures the attention of your would-be employer and you land something else entirely, something that that suits you even more.
That’s the happy story of Elmore the Christmas Moose by Dev Petty, with illustrations by Mike Boldt, in which a delightfully enthusiastic and eminently loveable moose decides that he’s just the right “reindeer” to fill a missing slot in the troop that pulls Santa’s sleigh.
Sure he’s not a reindeer and he is deficient in a couple of other key areas but he’s talented, he’s sweet and he wants to be part of the magic that is Santa Claus so badly that he comes back again and again, at Santa’s invitation because he’s a kind guy who believes in second and even third chances, to give it his all.
The result is a book for kids, and the kid in all grown-ups who wants to believe fervent dreams can come true, that not only celebrates the garrulous tenacity and self-belief of a truly lovely protagonist but which adds a lovely element to the Christmas story that every heart will embrace.
Elmore the Christmas Moose is funny and cute with vibrantly alive and colourful illustrations that leap adorably off the page – the page where Elmore is reading Santa’s Help Wanted ad in a newspaper, over the shoulder of a red cap wearing parkgoer is a joy with a lot of additional details that will warm your heart and amuse you no end – and in amongst all the rambunctious hilarity is a story of hope never dying and what can result when it doesn’t.
Elmore is a bright moose and he knows, as the story goes on, that he’s lying not the best fit for the part-time reindeer gig, but the way he keeps giving it shot after shot, with Santa’s wonderful support, should be a shot in the arm for anyone who feels like the world is against them and they can’t get that sweet role they want.
The message, apart from gleefully and happily evoking the real spirit of the season, is that while the dream you’re seeking isn’t the one you’re right for, maybe there’s something else out there for you and it just takes a special someone to see it and advocate for you to get it.
These moments come along, often at Christmas says the book, and when we see it, we have to do something about it.
Once in a while, we find ourselves in the middle of an important moment.
A Christmas kind of moment.
When we have to think about what’s really important.
What matters.
Who matters.
Elmore the Christmas Moose is all about those moments and how they can unexpectedly go a particular way that may just be the best thing you’ve ever done.
It’s a tonic for the heart and the soul and likely the perfect book to read to your kids this Christmas, and yes, you should pay close attention to because, well, you never know …