Morris Goes to School

Written by B. Wiseman

Narrated by Sean Schemmel

Morris the moose can't read or count. So he decides to go to school. Morris is thrilled after a day of A, B, C's, 1, 2, 3's, hoof-painting, and make-believe—he can finally count gumdrops!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Aug 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062124852

B. Wiseman

The late Mr. Wiseman is also the author and illustrator of two other stories about Morris: Morris and Boris at the Circus and Morris Goes to School.

[ecahan1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book because of the language and the illustrations. The story was about a moose named Morris who wanted to buy gum drops, but did not know how to count or read, so the candy store owner sent him to school. Morris had questions for almost everything, and had a lot to learn. I like the writing because there were many uses of idioms. For example when the teacher was naming the letters of the alphabet Morris became scared when she said the letter B, he said, “Where is the bee? I’m afraid of bees! They sting!” Also, during the arithmetic lesson the teacher asked the class “What comes after eight?” Morris responded by saying, “bedtime!” I feel that the plot is logical because this story could be realistic if only Morris was not a moose. I really enjoyed the illustrations because they were colorful and represented each part of the story. For example on page 30, the author is describing what each child is having for lunch. Next to each sentence is a picture of the food that is being described, such as a sandwich and a hamburger. The story also involves mini lessons in it including counting and spelling. At one point in the story Morris became upset because he was not able to count to ten, since he has hooves instead of hands. His teacher kindly encouraged Morris to use his antlers and his hooves, and he was then able to count up to twelve. Also, when Morris had to go to the bathroom he accidentally went into the girl’s room because he could not read. Seeing that Morris was upset, his teacher then changed the bathroom sign to read “Boy’s and Moose.” I thought that it was really kind of his teacher to be so accepting and that she included Morris in all of the day’s activities.
I feel that the overall idea of this book is to remind readers of the importance of school and getting an education. At first Morris was unable to buy gum drops since he could not count his money. When he was able to learn how to count, he was then able to purchase his candy! This book teaches readers that school can help prepare anyone (even a moose) for everyday life. In school we learn all kinds of things, and even that using our fingers to count, can help us in real-life situations.

[js126863 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the book Morris Goes To School by B. Wiseman, Morris, who is a moose, wants to buy some candy and he accidentally goes into the store that says "fish" because he does not know how to read. So the man at the fish store directs him across the street to the candy store. Morris goes in and says he wants gum drops but cannot correctly count his money, so the man shows him to the school where he can go and learn. Morris goes to school and learns some basic things like ABCs and how to count using his hoofs and antlers. Then after his day at school he goes back to the candy store and this time he knows how to correctly count his money.

I really enjoyed this book. I think it is a good book for children to read because it shows them that no matter whom you are you can learn just like everybody else.

I think that the book could be extended by Morris going back to school some more and learning even more things. The book also could have added more things with Morris sharing and making new friends at school. I think that would help teach kids that no matter whom you are or what you look like it is possible to make friends and to have fun at school.

[brittasorensen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My niece demanded I read this book again and again. She loved the story of a sweet, bumbling moose attending what appears to be a kindergarten classroom. The writing is simple and easy to read, the illustrations straight-forward and adorable. The tone is gently humorous and kind of sweetly old-fashioned.

[schuman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This the story of of moose attending school, it has lots of humor. I think it is a great early reader. with easy word yet a great storyline.

[pravs_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Morris Goes to School is the story of a Moose who has trouble counting and decides to attend school. At school he goes through the typical school activities of a young child, and learns to count. He eventually goes back to the scene of his initial counting blunder and reveals his knowledge gained. Pictures are on every page, are humorous and move the story along. The book is an easy reader, with not a lot of big words, perfect for children just starting to read on their own. This book lies in the difficult category of age groups to find books for. I think this book would be great for first graders, and recommend it for children ages 4 - 7.

[kphillips08 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Age Appropriateness: primary, intermediate