The Other Side of the Wall - Hardcover

Woychuk, Denis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688098959 ISBN 13: 9780688098957

Publisher: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, 1991

Synopsis

Trapped on opposite sides of a high wall, Gustav and Mimi long to be together, and a mouse inventor and a ballerina hippo could help them solve their problem

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1-- A tall stone wall separates refined Mimi, a ballerina hippopotamus, and gallant Gustav, an inventor mouse and king's musketeer. When Gustav hears Mimi's song, he declares his love and his intention of meeting her. Unfortunately, neither has a key to the single gate in the wall. Gustav furiously sets to work inventing a battering ram while Mimi works on a hot-air balloon and each dreams of the other (she imagines him as a handsome hippo while he pictures her as a winsome mouse). Alas, their ingenious ideas are no match for the wall. It is only when Mimi leans against it in despair that it topples and the two meet. In a triumph of true love, the pair find that they are perfect for each other despite their different sizes. Woychuk's lovestruck characters are charming and his text, with its gentle lessons of overcoming obstacles and accepting friends for what they are, is one that will appeal to children. The bright watercolors, with their chaotic detail, are the weakest part of the book. Howard's exaggeration of perspective and form gives the impression of a roller-coaster ride. A story with its heart in the right place, although its art may not be. --Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

A beguiling and truly odd couple--Gustav, a mouse inventor, and Mimi, a hippopotamus ballerina--admire each other from afar. Separated by a massive stone wall, the two carry on a courtship by exchanging witty conversation and enchanting songs. Finally overcome by their desire to meet, Mimi and her suitor race to concoct wall-hurdling devices. After a botched first attempt, Mimi literally makes a breakthrough that enables her to encounter the hippo of her dreams--who turns out to be a mouse. And when Gustav realizes the mouse of his dreams is a hippo, he kindly exclaims, "You are so much more than I hoped for!" Woychuk's tale is intelligent and comical confirmation that looks aren't everything. Howard's spirited palette and quirky characterizations are the perfect complement to this heartwarming story of a successful blind date. A refreshing debut. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0688098959
• ISBN 13: 9780688098957
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Howard Kim