Mike the Moose

Book excerpt: Mike the Moose, Master of Marbles, won't tell his story to just anyone. It helps if you are solidly pro-moose and see no reason in the natural world why moose and man can't live together in a harmonious family. If assured of your position, Mike might let slip some juicy details of his adventures. Maybe how his first trip to a mall brought the police and how he wound up in a trash can. Or what the head of NASA says about him, and the spaceship to Mars, and the DANGERS he faced. Mike's still galactically annoyed at his human sister Carrie for that one. The easiest way to get Mike talking is to ask about his medal: his super shiny one from the State Department, after his encounter with Generalissimo Alfonso Ramonito Crakov del Buston, leader of the Spanish underworld. Mike insists he planned the entire mission to save America. Press him, and maybe, he'll admit to a bit of help from his mom and top agent, Harry Malone. But the way Mike tells it, the mission was run by a moose. Well c'mon, the Commander in Chief was impressed enough to give Mike one of THE most special, extraterrestrial gifts ever offered to man or moose! Mike would be the first to confirm that he is as brilliant, courageous, and handsome as they say - especially when he stretches his antlers - but he'll insist he isn't trying to be Supermoose. All he wants is to revel in his new-found family and play marbles with Carrie. (You do know that Mike is just about the most famous expert on marbles on the planet, right?) But what's a curious mooseling to do when duty calls?