MOOSES COME WALKING

Guthrie's first book is an endearing poem that is supposed to be about moose, but whose blithe rhymes have nonsense verse written all over them. ``Mooses come walking up over the hill./Mooses come walking, they rarely stand still.'' Only 12 lines long, the story is delivered a half-line at a time, complemented by acrylic paintings that have the simplicity of woodcuts in their bold black lines and even blocks of subdued color. The moose gather and peer into a window, where they see a terrified person in bed. Then they leave. There may be simple truths hidden between the lines, but even if there aren't, this is as finger-snapping catchy as Mother Goose with antlers. (Picture book. 2-6)