Little Babymouse and the Christmas Cupcakes

September 26, 2016
All the hallmarks of the Holm siblings’ Babymouse graphic novels—vivid fantasy sequences, a drily funny narrator, and punchy cartooning—make their way to the irrepressible mouse’s first picture book. After Babymouse scarfs down the cookies meant for a certain jolly old elf, the narrator asks what she hopes Santa will bring her: “A nice tea set, perhaps?” No, Babymouse wants a suit of armor (“Because of all the dragons!” she explains, with more than a hint of scorn), and that means baking special cupcakes for Santa. But can they survive an encounter with a cranky baby brother turned dragon? That’s right, cupcakes and dragons—both featured elements in previous Babymouse books—are big, nontraditional parts of this story, which neatly avoids overfamiliar holiday territory while still highlighting the chaos of the days leading up to Christmas. Ages 3–7. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Babymouse moves from graphic fiction to the full-color picture-book world with a Christmas story about the popular character at an earlier age.Babymouse wants her own suit of armor for Christmas, as well as a baby brother who doesn't cry, unlike the one she already has. After Babymouse eats all the Christmas cookies intended for Santa, she decides to bake him some Christmas cupcakes. While the cupcakes are cooling, her mom leaves the room to tend to the baby. Babymouse hears a scary roaring noise, and she quickly improvises a suit of makeshift armor from kitchen equipment. The action morphs, and readers see Sir Babymouse astride a polka-dot octopus in a battle with hot-pink, fire-breathing Loud Dragon. As the fighting intensifies, Babymouse throws her brother's pacifier at the dragon, flipping it into his mouth and ending the battle. Somehow, during the battle and following celebratory feast, all the cupcakes were eaten...except for one with several bites gone. That sad, half-eaten cupcake is left out for Santa (a white human), who looks at it with a weary, "Oh, Babymouse." The back endpapers show an understanding Santa's gift of a suit of armor for Babymouse left under the tree. Both text and cartoon-style illustrations are filled with witty humor and consideration for an exuberant mouse child's inner emotional world. Little Babymouse will win new fans among younger readers, who will hope to see what dragons Babymouse fights next. (Picture book. 4-7) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-While the familiar pink, black, and white color scheme makes various appearances on a page, a panel, or even a dragon, the Holm siblings instead choose bold outlines and an expanded palette for this picture book prequel to their popular graphic novels. This Babymouse, dressed in red footie pajamas, may be younger and smaller, but her creativity and mischievousness loom just as large as always. Unable to resist the tasty cookies that were supposed to be left for Santa, Babymouse decides that baking cupcakes will get her back onto his "nice" list, which will hopefully lead to a suit of armor under the tree come Christmas morning. When she is left alone to watch the cupcakes cool while her mother tends to her baby brother, impatience and imagination kick in. Squeak's cries turn into a dragon's roar, and a mighty battle to protect the cupcakes ensues. VERDICT The same buoyant fun of the graphic novel series can be found here, connecting younger children to what is becoming a beloved classic character.-Joanna Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

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