Synopsis
During his nightly quests for food in a toy shop, a hungry mouse learns a number of proverbs from the toys and eventually devises one himself for the cat that tries to catch him.
Reviews
PreSchool-Grade 3 A small mouse, in search of food in a toy store, learns from the toys that things are not always as they seem. Each time he approaches what appears to be food, he discovers a toy made of wood, wax, or glass. Each discovery is accompanied by a mocking proverb delivered by a nearby toy`` `Look before you leap' said the Jack-in-the-Box.'' Finally a real cat appears, but the mouse escapes with the help of an overturned milk dish and departs with ``No use crying over spilt milk.'' The proverbs come to life when shown in the proper context for which they were createda friendly bit of advice. The use of onomatopoeia and rhymes keep the text flowing and enjoyable to read aloud. Illustrations are bold, colorful, detailed, and clear. The white mouse looks very real against the wooden toys bathed in strange shadows from street lights. Colored pictures on the right-hand page face a white page that includes the text and a small black-and-white sketch. This could be used as an introduction to proverbs for primary grade children; younger children may not understand the proverbs, but they'll enjoy the adventure and the illustrations. Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In rhythmic, unforced verse, Miller traces the midnight odyssey of Little Mouse, who ventures through the toy shop in search of a snack. Little Mouse spies several apparent delicacies, only to learn on closer inspection that he is mistaken: "milk and apples" are only a juggler's clubs and balls; a "basket of eggs" is nothing more than marbles. His disappointment each time is sharpened by an apt proverb offered by one or another of the toys. Little Mouse finally does find an edible treat but only after a chase by the shop cat and the recitation of a homile of his own. This is at once an engagingly childlike and artistically fine, sophisticated work. Deuchar uses shadow, color and perspective to recreate the utter stillness of the middle of the night, an atmosphere in which things often are, indeed, not as they seem. His paintings give off a hint of the surrealthe inanimate toys not only speak but wear a variety of expressionsbut this is balanced by the warmth and lightness of Miller's text and by the animate, friendly figure of Little Mouse himself. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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