Builder Mouse

March 7, 2016
Born in Russia and based in London, Eldarova makes her U.S. children's book debut with the story of a mouse named Edgar, who dreams of becoming an architect. Food scrapsâthe mouse version of reclaimed lumberâare Edgar's primary building material, and therein lies the problem: his hungry friend Toby is forever eating his handiwork, such as when Edgar creates an arch from a watermelon slice and a few pretzels ("Toby loved the curve and thought the combination of salty and sweet was yummy"). Fed up, Edgar moves out, hoping to find more appreciate audiences in the subways, restaurants, and museums of the city, but there, too, the mice simply devour his creations. After seeing Edgar's candy mural in a museum, a group of "arty" mice "all agreed that it needed to be digested to be fully understood." Using a mix of pencil, paint, and pastel, Eldarova contrasts chic urban settings with lumpy, caricatured humans and mice. An ending that sees Edgar returning home to his best friendâand switching to a less edible building materialâis no less charming for its predictability. Ages 4â7. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

November 1, 2015
Two mice learn that friendship is all about give and take in this sweet and simple tale. For best friends Edgar and Toby, leftovers mean very different things. Architect wannabe Edgar builds intricate structures. Watermelon rinds, runaway peas, ripe tomatoes, and more transform into arches, towers, and pyramids. Always-hungry Toby sees leftovers as lunch and finds Edgar's "buildings" delicious. After Toby devours one too many of his creations, a fed-up Edgar moves out to seek a place where he can build in peace. However, he discovers that mice all over the city love leftovers. The subway mice find his castle made from peanuts, chips, and chocolate bars "irresistibly tasty." The restaurant mice gobble up his cheese dome. And the museum mice eat up his candy mural because "they all agreed that it needed to be digested to be fully understood." Soon, Edgar realizes that he misses his best friend and wants to find the middle ground. When Edgar returns home, Toby has a surprise of his own. Amusing details in the artwork abound--trendily dressed rodents in pearls and pageboy caps, as well as subtle changes in color to indicate mood. Plus, Eldarova's droll text and vivid illustrations complement each other like macaroni and cheese, demonstrated in tension-creating page turns and effective double-page spreads. There's room on the bookshelf for this yummy friendship-themed picture book. (Picture book. 4-8)

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