Mr. Mole Moves In

March 15, 2021
When Mr. Mole moves to Juniper Hollow from Mole Town, his neighbors are a little surprised at his behavior. Raccoon greets him, but Mr. Mole shakes hands with a tree branch instead. Rabbit waits to introduce her three bunnies, but the dapperly dressed mole courteously doffs his hat and apologizes to a fence post he walks into. Giraffe sits outside the general store with a large watermelon in her lap. Surprisingly, Mr. Mole says: "What a beautiful baby!" His puzzling behavior has the residents of Juniper Hollow inferring that this is how everybody is in Mole Town, but some knowledgeable readers may figure out that Mr. Mole has a vision problem. A young bunny wearing big round glasses realizes this, and when the townsfolk bring a gift basket to Mr. Mole's cottage, she helpfully gives him her extra pair. The author/illustrator creates enticing felted animal figures, dressed in sweaters, skirts, and other clothing, and sets them in simple scenes. While the illustrations are appealing, the text is both on the long side for the intended age group and not all that exciting. Polite behavior is emphasized, but the extended joke about not seeing well is not very funny. Skip this one. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 30.6% of actual size.) 3-D critters in pleasing illustrations welcome Mr. Mole, but the clunky text does not charm. (Picture book. 4-6)

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