The Eagle

The unusual Lighthouse family includes Pandora the cat and Seabold the dog, who care for three little mice (Lila, Whistler, and Tiny). In this story, Whistler and Lila go adventuring with a compass (which they lose) and are rescued by a benevolent eagle. There's a touch of Mr. Rogers about Mark Nelson's narration, an old-fashioned coziness that matches well with Rylant's quaint and warmly detailed story in which characters eat porridge and curl up around the stove. In a world in which cats, dogs, and mice coexist happily and eagles help rodents, there's little dramatic tension. So Nelson lavishes his energies on expressive character vignettes that draw listeners into Rylant's nostalgic world. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine