Anything with You

October 19, 2020
It’s a beautiful fall day, and one mouse pulls another into the outdoors. As the friends explore the forest—discovering a lizard beneath a rock, walking along a golden-hued allée—Mylie (Something for You) chronicles their adventures through idyllic, generously detailed landscape spreads and snapshot-like insets that zoom in on moments of discovery. Bits of narration articulate the emotional significance of the otherwise wordless vignettes: in one series of images, the narration notes, “with you, there’s always a way,” as the mice bravely scale a huge tree and retrieve a stolen acorn cap. One mouse is a little more timid than the other, and crossing a stream (a rock turns out to be a turtle, albeit a friendly one) and traveling through a dark tunnel of insect-filled tree roots cause trepidation. But the two complement each other well (“With you, I always feel better”), supporting one another’s pretend play and feelings, and curling up together by a potbelly stove at day’s end. It’s a lovely affirmation of how a close friendship can make one feel cozy and safe, even—especially—in a big world. Ages 3–6. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.

October 15, 2020
Seek and ye shall find...magical explorations courtesy of close friendship. So this gentle story, narrated with few words and illustrated with delicate, autumnal-colored artwork, tells us. A confident, purple-shirted gray mouse coaxes a more timid orange-shirted brown pal (who sports an acorn cap as...well, a cap) who's been poring over a nature guide to come on an exploration outdoors. Why simply browse pictures of natural wonders when you can search for the real things? Off the pair treks into the woods, looking everywhere and busily examining everything. They encounter various flora and fauna, including a rascally squirrel, not to mention vivid fall leaves, among which they tumble merrily. During their outing, the murine friends show off several clever feats of ingenuity, helping them realize that, together, they can meet challenges. The youngest readers/listeners will warm to this cozy fall-themed charmer with its reassuring messages about companionship and mutual helpfulness. Emergent readers should find success navigating the simple, first-person text. Sweetly humorous, expressive illustrations ably support the explorers' camaraderie and good cheer. Depictions of how the mice creatively make art of found objects and savor nature books together following their outing are particularly charming. Endpapers resemble a scrapbook filled with samples of finds the friends noted or brought back from their adventure. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 25% of actual size.) Charming laptime and group-reading fare; a reminder that friendship works in all seasons. (Picture book. 3-6)

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