Sophie and Lou - Hardcover

Mathers, Petra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060240725 ISBN 13: 9780060240721

Publisher: Harpercollins, 1975

Synopsis

Shy Sophie, enticed by the dancing that she sees in the studio across the street, sets out to learn on her own

About this title

About the Author:

Petra Mathers, creator of the Lottie's World picture book series, as well as many other picture books, lives in Astoria, Oregon.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- A naive, almost childlike style of art illustrates this tale of a mouse discovering not only her hidden self but love as well. Sophie is so shy that she does her grocery shopping during the lull hours just so she won't have to talk to anyone. But when Dolores and Rudi's Dance Studio opens across the street, Sophie is reluctantly drawn into their glamorous, exciting world. Hearing snatches of music and seeing the students' swaying bodies, she is curious to know what their feet are doing. She finally gathers up her courage and visits the bookmobile, asking for a book on learning to dance. One evening, as she glides along to Dolores's voice, the doorbell rings and there stands another mouse, who asks Sophie for a dance. Sophie eagerly agrees and the two dance away as the story ends. Astute readers will notice that Lou appears throughout the illustrations as a bashful observer to Sophie's transformation. The text is uncomplicated and charming. Mathers's images are flat, and the mostly muted colors project a look reminiscent of felt fabric. The various animals that populate Sophie's world are stylized, and there's a droll sense of humor expressed in many of the illustrations: a supermarket barrel is labeled "barrel of laughs," Lou reads Love Poems for Mice , and the "Wack-A-Thumb" carpenter truck appears on Sophie's street. While some of the subtleties in the illustrations may be missed by a very young audience, such as the numerous references to flight in Sophie's pre-dancing days, this gentle love story should make an interesting change of pace for story times. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins
• Publication date: 1975
• ISBN 10: 0060240725
• ISBN 13: 9780060240721
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 30