Side By Side

February 15, 2015
A little mouse finds a friend in this rhyming picture book.Little Mouseling, the youngest of many, is very small, and her many brothers and sisters often just don't wait for her. When she pops out from under the tree where her family lives, many respond to her plea for someone to "stay by [her] side." Unfortunately, Toad Flip likes the water (she doesn't), and Big Squirrel Brown wants to climb (she doesn't). Her sad tears, however, bring "a tinyful, weenimous, little black vole" to her side. They find much in common and much to share: "all the things / you can do as a two!" Gliori has created a fanciful wood of little animals that sometimes only vaguely resemble their actual counterparts; all have big eyes and lively expressions. She uses curlicues of plants, trees and tails to show movement and pattern-and joy. Mouseling's ladybug pull-toy is a stroke of brilliance; the little black vole's scene of singing and dancing, with his mouth open operatically wide and waving two maple helicopters in the air like banners, is another. The text is rhymed, not always felicitously, but the language is pleasing. The penultimate spread of paired-off buddies-rabbits and foxes and owls and insects-is an affectionate paean to BFFs and/or couples. This sweet celebration of friendship is elevated by its winsome illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)

April 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Little Mouseling is a tiny child with a huge heart. From a big family of wide-eyed mice, she loves time together but struggles to keep up with her many siblings and is left alone in the Wintermouse Wood. Little Mouseling tries many friends to quiet her loneliness but to no avail. Toad wants to jump in the water, but Mouseling can't swim. Squirrel wants to climb, and Owl wants to fly, but the young mouse is too afraid to find any true companionship in these new friends. Just when Little Mouseling is ready to give up, a new friend comes along, with whom she's happy to spend every day, side by side. This sweet story about finding a friend brings together all of the adorable elements of woodland creatures with all the woes of finding the perfect companion. VERDICT With pleasant rhyme and delightful illustrations, this title will attract young readers.-Ashley Prior, Lincoln Public Library, RI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Preschool-K In this sweet, vibrantly illustrated picture book, a young mouse looks for a best friend. Set in Wintermouse Wood, the rhyming story follows Young Mouseling as she tries to find another creature who will stay by her side. Both the author and the illustrator take a playful approach as the little mouse declines to hang out with a frog, a squirrel, and an owl. Bright's bouncy rhymes contain plenty of alliteration as well as some nice neologisms, such as whiskerly and weenimous. Full of movement and curving lines, Gliori's illustrations present the coziness of the mouse home, the brightness of Young Mouseling's daytime frolicking, and the eeriness of the deep-blue night. The spooky vibe quickly disappears when a little black vole pops up from the ground, and the mouse finds her other. Several inviting spreads show the resulting fun ( They could see-saw, play catch, and sit back to back. / They could hide in their den and share a nice snack ), making for a charming friendship tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)