Such a Little Mouse

Starred review from January 5, 2015
Yes, Schertle and Yue’s hero is cute as can be, “with his smart gray coat, with his ears pink as petals, with three twitchety whiskers on each side of his nose.” But he’s also self-reliant, self-directed, and very much at home in the world—in other words, what readers in the target audience aspire to be. The story follows the mouse through spring, summer, and autumn as he emerges from his wonderfully snug underground home to gather food for his winter larder. Neither obsessive nor a procrastinator, the mouse knows he can get the job done and still have time to kibitz with neighbors (he contributes a twig to a beaver’s dam) and savor the scenery (including his own handsome reflection in a puddle). Yue (the Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series) channels her customary jaunty energy into a more old-school drawing style, delivering nature scenes that are warm but not treacly, while Schertle’s gentle prose (“Such a little mouse. Off he goes into the wide world”) has just enough repetition to provide a comforting structure and a cozy lilt. Ages 3–6. Illustrator’s agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Starred review from December 15, 2014
Four seasons, as seen through the eyes of a country mouse.The book begins in spring. "In the middle of the meadow, under a clump of dandelions, there is a hole." Out pops "[s]uch a little mouse," with "ears pink as petals" and a tiny smile. He sees bees on clover blossoms and his own reflection in a puddle. Each season is represented in one exploratory day. In summer, the mouse sees beavers and a porcupine; in autumn, rustling leaves, honking geese and busy ants. When winter arrives, he sees his landscape covered in snow. "Brrrrrrr," he says, retreating underground to his cozy burrow, which features tunnels and many discrete rooms-a bedroom, a kitchen and a fully stocked larder. All year he's been storing seeds, watercress and acorns; now he can bake acorn bread and cook seed-and-watercress soup. Preschoolers will recognize the wooden alphabet blocks that form the base of his counter. Seasons and animals aren't new topics, but Yue's idyllic meadowscapes are full of clean, fresh air. From full-page to spot illustrations, from the breezy greens, blues and yellows of spring to the rustic browns of underground, her colors glow gently. Her lines have a light touch but feel grounding; fine details, shadings and a real feel for weather make this special. Shelve with Richard Scarry's I Am a Bunny (1963) and Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams' Little Fur Family (1946). Perfectly charming. (Picture book. 3-5)

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December 1, 2014

PreS-K-A sweet little mouse takes pleasure in each season in this charmingly old-fashioned book. Poetic, repetitive text and deceptively simple-looking pencil and ink sketches show him going through the gentle routines of outdoor exploration and food storage. When winter arrives, he uses his supplies to make a cozy meal and snuggle down for a nap. He lives a relaxed, predator-free life and is slightly anthropomorphic. He lives in a field and carries food in his mouth but furnishes his hole with human cast-offs and cooks acorn bread and seed-and-watercress soup. There is no real point to the story, but it hits the right beats for the ear and the emotions and makes a nice example of the virtue of being contented with one's lot.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Preschool-K Each morning for three seasons, a little mouse ventures out of his hole in the meadow to explore the wide world around him. In spring, he sees a snail and brings home a seed to keep in his storeroom. In summer, he watches beavers working in a pond and takes a sprig of watercress home to keep. In autumn, he hears the honks of geese flying south and carries an acorn back to his storeroom. When winter comes, he stays home. Warm and snug, he waits for spring. Schertle writes with a sure sense of sound, rhythm, and narrative structure. Portraying the little mouse as an unassuming but curious fellow, Yue's appealing line-and-wash artwork includes pastoral landscapes, close-ups of the protagonist observing his world, and cutaway scenes of his multichambered underground home. Young children will enjoy watching this small but independent character take care of himself throughout the year. An endearing picture book for reading aloud in any season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)