Customer Reviews

Mouse Mess

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a sleeper. No one seems to know about it; mycolleagues had never heard of it. This is a shame because the bookis a gem. First of all, the cut paper illustrations are superb. The perspective is interesting, with a "mouse-eye" view of the counter top (huge cereal boxes, teacups, Oreo cookies, and so forth). Then there's the mouse--surely the most vibrant, personality-filled creature ever rendered in paper. He climbs, he runs, he bathes...and he makes Eric Carle's animals look rigid and grotesque. The rhyming text is a lot of fun. My two-year-old can recite the whole thing. The story is simple and funny. A mouse goes into the kitchen at night, makes a huge mess, and then leaves it. This might turn off some parents. I mean, the mouse is unapologetic (in fact, he announces, "These people need to clean their house!") and he doesn't get into trouble for making the mess either. He just goes to sleep, presumably to do the same naughty thing the next night. For some reason, however, I found this hysterical--a refreshing break from usual diet of cutesy morality pieces. In fact, because the story is unpredictable in this way, it would appeal to older children, as well as toddlers. END

My two children (22 months and 15 months) love this book. They imitate the mouse as he creeps upstairs, eats his cookies, jumps into his cornflakes and takes a bath. Everytime we read it we discover a new detail. The mouse's expressions are wonderful and the details are exquisite. Everyone should have a copy of this book for their children.

My two year old twin sons LOVE this book. We read it several times a day. They repeat some of the phrases as I turn the pages and giggle at the mess the mouse has made while "acting" out some of the scenes. This book helps children to identify foods and other objects around the house and is in general a lot of fun to read. It has become my favorite book to give as a gift - this book should be in every house that has a child!

A really cute story about what a mouse does at night. The illistrations are outstanding. While the story line is good, what is even better about this book is it's possiblities.

Every page has so many opportunities to expand the story into a learning lesson without the child becoming bored. i.e. Where is the mouse? What is the mouse doing? What do you think he'll do next? How many pencils are there in the mouse's house? What is the mouse eating? Can you find the apple with a leaf on its stem? What color is the cheese? What shape is the orange? Do you think he really found the mess or made the mess himself? By asking different questions each time you read it, both you and your child will be challenged and have fun at the same time.

We found this book at a school book fair about 2 years ago for my daughter who was 2 at the time. She loved it so much that our soft cover copy is in tatters and I need to get a new hardcover one. I had a broken leg a few months after we got the book and so she would have to go and get her own book and bring it to me to read. This was the only one she brought for weeks at a time. We could hear her reciting it to herself sometimes in bed at night, or when she was taking a bath, just about all the time. We don't know anyone else who knows about this book, but it is so wonderful and fanciful that all my 5 kids just love it. The pictures are full of color, the idea is mischevious, and the text is simply put without being simple. I highly recommend it.

"Mouse Mess" is a beautiful picture book with stunning cut-paper illustrations. It tells the tale of a mischievous mouse who plays with his food and makes a mess of a human family's kitchen, then retires to bed. Children will love the absurd irresponsibility of it all, especially when Mouse surveys the scene he's created himself: "Who made this awful mess?" said Mouse, "These people need to clean their house!" Adults will enjoy witty moments such as Mouse raking corn flakes with a fork as if they were leaves, and jumping into the pile. This one also makes a good read-aloud for storytimes.

Colorful pictures and cute rhymes makes this book a favorite. The words flow and the actions in this book make this a story that appeals to the little ones (like my two year) to an older child. Linnea Riley does a wonderful job with this book and I recommend it to anyone with a child.

The text for "Mouse Mess" is great for teaching first and second grade children how to read. It is also a good bedtime story for preschool children. My daughter and I enjoy looking at the artwork almost as much as reading the story. The pictures are also excellent for teaching colors, shapes and objects. I would highly recommend this book to all parents.

My son,Sam (13 months), loves this book. We have to read it 3-4 times before he goes down for a nap. The colorful illustrations and sing-song nature of the verses keep his attention and soothe him to sleep.

I have adored the Linnea Designs calendars for more than ten years, but never knew that "Linnea" was an author as well. While she has retired from the daily design work of the company--her daughter handles most of the vintage travel posters now--you can still enjoy this brilliant offering any day of the week.

Mouse Mess showcases Linnea's whimsical cut-paper collages, endowing the mouse with vitality. Humorous premise, strong rhymes. You can start enjoying this book with very young children. The colors and shapes of the cut-outs lend themselves to identification, and the mouse acts like every youngster does, or at least wishes they could.

Watching the mouse rake up corn flakes (with a fork), and then jump into them like a giant pile of autumnal leaves, is one of my favorites. His misplaced indignation--"These people need to clean their house!"--also made me laugh out loud.

I would caution those queasy souls--the same ones who cringe at a certain cooking rat--that a picture book about a naughty mouse does not require a call to pest control. Speaking of Ratatouille, I am unsure of the filmmakers' influences, but surely Mouse Mess is a spiritual, if not literal, antecedent.

Scholastic (1997) paperback.