Your Neighbor the Mouse

November 1, 2011

Gr 1-3-Each book starts off with animal facts; e.g., there are more than 230 species of squirrels, raccoons are omnivores, young pigeons are called squabs, coyotes are excellent hunters, alley cats are feral, etc. Then, dangers each species faces in its urban habitat are exposed. Spreads display photographs of the subjects in the world at large and in the neighborhood. Each title ends with an invitation to look for evidence of the featured animal on a neighborhood safari. Photographs are clear and interesting. New words are displayed in bold and defined in glossaries, but some, such as "iridescent," "carrion," and "omnivores," might require adult help with pronunciation. Bold red and yellow side boxes fill out the text with fact snippets, though the strong hues can be visually distracting. Worthy purchases, particularly for neighborhoods in which these creatures can be found.

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