Christmas with the Mousekins

October 18, 2010
Smith introduces a crafty—as in resourceful—family of mice in this story about the bustle during the days leading up to Christmas. Kid-friendly projects (mostly paper crafts) and recipes are interspersed, so after siblings Mimi and Momo make decorations with their grandmother, readers can do the same. The story is slight, but several poems and ministories add variety, and Smith's cozy mixed-media scenes of the close-knit family celebrate a holiday filled with baking, homemade gifts, and kind deeds. Ages 5–8.

October 1, 2010

K-Gr 3-'Twas two weeks before Christmas and Mama, Papa, Mimi, Momo, and Baby Mousekin busily prepare for the holiday by selecting a tree, writing letters to Santa, baking cookies, caroling, and other traditional activities. The bustle of the season is captured in this sampler format, which includes crafts, recipes, poems, and Nana Mousekin's Christmas Eve story. The colorful, cozy artwork is filled with intricate detail that will appeal to the very young. The crafts, many of which require tracing of small patterns and recipes that involve baking, are geared for older children. Best for parent or teacher use with small groups.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010

This Christmas compendium of craft ideas, recipes and poems is woven into a related story about a mouse family preparing for their celebration of the holiday. The family, including a visiting grandmother, engages in lots of traditional activities, both inside and outside, with spreads about the mouse family alternating with spreads offering recipes and instructions for simple craft projects. Additional short poems are worked into the illustrations of the family's activities. The anthropomorphic world of the mouse family is quite believable, right down to every detail of their well-appointed home, and the mice are undeniably cute in their winter clothing. The overall result, however, is a busy and rather cluttered effort, very sweet and old-fashioned in tone, which may appeal more to adults than to children. Those fond of mice will find this nice. (Picture book. 4-8)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 15, 2010
Grades K-3 The story, in which a mouse family begins to prepare for Christmas two weeks before the holiday, is almost beside the point in this cheerfully illustrated, enjoyable package of celebratory ideas. Projects range in complexity from simple onessuch as making paper snowflakesto complex activities, including actual baking. Adult assistance will be needed for most, especially those that involve the oven; the requisite admonishment to Be sure to have an adult help you in the kitchen is present. The cheerful text and busy, colorful illustrations combine for a charmingly old-fashioned overall tone. The mouse father is Papa; the snowy village has gingerbready houses and a general store. The folkloric design features red borders decorated with white swirls, hearts, and snowflakes on activity pages; gift-ribbon wrapping around a series of vignettes on one spread; and so forth. Even if the illustrated finished projects look much more perfect than a real kids ever would, the Mousekins merrymaking is contagious, and the activities look like fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)