Mr. Pig Live. . .with MOOSE!

Welcome back, folks, to my Pixie-award-winning talk show 

MR. PIG LIVE!

What, you didn't watch the Pixie awards last night? You didn't see me walk the flying carpet?! I was great! The Fairy Godmother designed my tuxedo. Ah, well, you'll just have to watch the recap on E-News Daily.

Allow me to introduce today's guest. . .

MOOSE!

Moose is the star of the newly released picture book, DUCK, DUCK, MOOSE! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones.

What is your full name? 

Moose. That’s M-O-O-S-E. Sometimes folks forget the second O.

Two O's in Moose. Got it. What three words best describe you?
Big-hearted, awkward, loveable. If I could have a fourth word, it would be gawky. But that’s mainly because I like saying, “GAWKY, GAWKY, GAWKY.” (Go ahead, you try it – isn’t it fun??)

It is fun, not as fun as 'portly' but I like it. Ok. Personal question: Do you have a belly button? Go!
Ummm, I don’t know. I’ve never checked. (And the internet is ambiguous on this point.)

What is the best thing about being you?
That I have the best family in the world, who love me no matter what, and don’t give a quack about my gawkiness.

What is the worst thing about being you?
It’s hard to be graceful with antlers this big.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring?
Duck and Duck, of course. But if I couldn’t bring them, I’d bring:
--An ice machine
--A manual on making sushi
--One of those solar chargers for my cell phone
--My cell phone
--Several of Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s books
--Chocolate (preferably, chocolate mousse)
--My toothbrush
--My blankie

When do you feel the happiest?
When I’m with Duck and Duck…and they are not too mad at me. Or they have just forgiven me. Or they haven’t caught me yet.

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? 
Be invisible, of course. Do you know how much trouble I could get out of if I could just turn myself invisible?

Do you identify more with Goldilocks or the three bears?
I’m definitely a show-up-where-I’m-not-expected-and-kind-of-make-a-mess-of-things Goldilocks type of guy.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Page 18 and 19.

What is your pet peeve?
Neat freaks. Come on, guys, life is too short to spend that much of it cleaning!

What was it like working with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen?
She’s a little bit of a diva, but she’s also kind of awesome. And she let me get into all sorts of fun trouble, which is really cool. 

I'm a bit of a diva myself, so I can relate. Well, thank you, Moose, that's all the time we have for today. 

And now. . . here's a bit more about the author and illustrator of your fabulous new book!

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an award-winning children's book author whose books include Duck, Duck, Moose! Chicks Run Wild, Pirate Princess, Hampire!, and the forthcoming Orangutangled. She visits schools around the country to talk about the craft of writing to children of all ages. "Every book is an autobiography" is a favorite saying of hers, and a big part of her message is that everyone, grownup or child, has a story that is interesting and compelling—if you can find the right words to tell it. Sudipta lives outside Philadelphia with her children and an imaginary pony named Penny. You can learn more about her and her books on her website www.sudipta.com or at her blog www.NerdyChicksRule.com.

Kirkus Reviews said this about Duck, Duck, Moose!: "Emerging readers will easily join in the fun... kids will love seeing how the traditional children’s game gets a funny new setting with 'moose' taking the place of 'goose.' ... Fun, fun, fun!"

Noah Z. Jones is the illustrator of the picture books Duck, Duck, Moose, Stuff and many other fabulous books for young readers. In addition to illustrating children's books, he is also the creator of Disney's Fish Hooks along with Almost Naked Animals which airs on Cartoon Network. See more of his work at www.noahzjones.com

Moose, are you hungry? (I bet you are, look at the size of you!)

Our friend Nina from Mamabelly Lunches with Love has whipped up something very special! Scroll down for a Moose-themed bento Literary Lunch!