Zackary Raffles

When the moon illuminates all the objects that frighten a young mouse in the night, he finally conquers his terrible fear of the dark and is able to realize the greatest wish of his sixth birthday.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- This predictable story offers very little that is new or original. Upon reaching his sixth birthday, a young mouse decides to pursue his dream of joining the proud ranks of the Mouse Soldiers. First, though, he must pass the Three Tests of Courage. Zachary doesn't have much trouble with the first, walking the Rope of Courage; nor the second, solving the Mysterious Riddle. It's the third that threatens to be his nemesis: spending the night standing guard on Lookout Rock, for Zachary is afraid of the dark. The narrative is ordinary, and the cartoonlike illustrations are jarring and cluttered. Even the color is uneven, sometimes clear and brilliant, sometimes muddy and pale. The poetic language in John Canty's Shadows (Harper, 1987) and the whimsical approach of Mercer Mayer's There's a Nightmare in My Closet (Dial, 1968) place this title considerably short of the mark.
- Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
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