Library Mouse Series, Book 1

Chris Sorenson's well-timed pauses and gentle cadences give an understated sense of drama to the quiet story of a library mouse who reads and writes. Through his soft tones, Sorenson gives listeners a tender feeling for Sam, the shy mouse with big thoughts and a desire to write books. Sorenson then builds the image of a librarian who is full of curiosity and admiration for Sam's books, which appear each morning in her library. Sorenson voices the reactions of the library's young patrons with punchy lines of dialogue that note their surprise and pleasure at Sam's delightful nocturnal creations. Sam has few speaking lines, so Sorenson must characterize him with subtlety. His approach puts the emphasis on the mouse's joy at invention rather than a wish for acclaim. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine


In the sequel to LIBRARY MOUSE, Chris Sorensen recounts Tom's unusual friendship with Sam, the reclusive library mouse and petite author. Sorensen's even, welcoming delivery moves at a suitable pace for young listeners to follow. Without Kirk's illustrations, however, Sorensen's narration faces an uphill battle to bring the story to life. Constrained by the short text of the picture-book form, Sorensen isn't given much detail with which to create lifelike characters, and he is unable to convey the parts of the story that are given only in the pictures themselves. While Sorensen presents this unadorned tale with admirable warmth, in the end, it lacks spark. One might consider purchasing the printed book to look at while listening to the audio. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine