Moose gets caught in the middle when Bear and Eagle begin a shouting match. Although he attempts to intervene, going to speak to each of the combatants, he is rebuffed by both, and the conflict only grows more severe, moving from angry words to the throwing of sticks and stones. Fortunately, Moose finds a use for the missiles that land near his house, eventually building a massive shelter that woos Eagle and Bear's allies away from the fighting. In the end, the two war-like animals find themselves alone, with nothing left to throw...

Although I am in sympathy with the idea of Moose - that conflict is destructive, a waste of time, and destroys the lives of those engaged in it - and although I have enjoyed many of Michael Foreman's other books, somehow this one just fell completely flat for me. The story felt rather pointed, in terms of delivering its message, but not particularly engaging, as a story in its own right. I simply couldn't muster up much interest in Moose's predicament, and given the seriousness of the topic, was oddly unmoved by the whole thing. Tastes may vary, of course, so other readers may feel differently, particularly if they are Michael Foreman fans. ( )