The Porcupine Mouse [Hardcover]

Bonnie Pryor (Author), Mary Jane Begin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

When Louie and Dan leave home, each wants to handle things his own way. Can these two little mice figure out how to get along-and survive the dangers of the forest? First published in 1988, a new generation of readers will fall in love with this delightfully lighthearted mouse adventure, featuring Mary Jane Begins irresistible illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two mouse brothers, Louie and Dan, leave their over-crowded house in search of a home of their own. Their first challenge comes at nightfall, when they begin to see shadows swooping towards them. Dan runs to a maple tree and falls through a hidden door that leads to an abandoned house they soon claim as their own. One night, Dan finds himself outside the house, only a paw's reach from a huge black cat. But brave Louie outwits the menacing feline by convincing him that Dan is really a porcupinea terrible meal that would certainly upset his digestion. The plot is uncomplicated and slight, but Begin's pictures make up for the shortcomings. The snug miniature world of the mice is created as much by an illusionist as by a skillful artist; the disparity in size between cat and mouse when they encounter each other in the dark generates real dramatic surprise. And that scene provides a shadowy contrast to the blissfully cheerful interior shots. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 Engaging mice star in this short fantasy about an ``odd couple''two brothers who have difficulties setting up housekeeping, but finally learn to accommodate each other. The mice act out some scenes a bit reminiscent of situations in Lobel's ``Frog and Toad'' stories (Harper); for example, one mouse pesters the other into telling him a story so that he can get to sleep, and later both mice can't stop eating their cookies. Although the story meanders a bit, the watercolor illustrations are so eye-catching that young listeners will focus on the art rather than the text. Particularly effective is the artist's ability to depict the effects of light and darkness on scenes, and to create the child-like expressions on the faces of the mice. One double-page spread is especially dramatic: the left page is black with one line of text in white, while the right page contains an illustration, trimmed in black, of a huge cat's face next to a tiny mouse brother in his night cap and shirt. The artwork makes this a good choice for library storytime or for lap-reading. Yvonne A. Frey, Peoria Public Library, Ill.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Revised edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587171856
• ISBN-13: 978-1587171857
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,737,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Measure of a Mouse, September 23, 2011

By 

FictionGal2347 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Porcupine Mouse (Hardcover)

"The Porcupine Mouse" is a little-known but fine story about the nature of courage. (Parents should, however, be prepared to explain the wrongness of lying-under any and all circumstances- to their children after the story's climax.) Ms. Begin's drawings are sweet but not saccharine and provide an excellent backdrop to the tale. When mouse brothers Louie and Dan set out from their overcrowded house (wonderfully portrayed by Ms. Begin), their differences in many cases-but especially in courage-quickly become evident. Louie is intimidated by the predators that could catch them if they remain homeless too long, but Dan boastfully brandishes a stick and alleges that he isn't scared by any of them. However, hints are dropped throughout the book, and the final showdown, in which Louie tries to save Dan from a cat, makes the reader wonder whether cautious Louie is really the braver.

In addition to being a fair addition to your boy or girl's childhood reading, this story is a good one for trying to explain to a child that courage is doing what must be done when it has to be done, rather than looking for trouble or boasting about exploits. I give it a thumbs up.

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Art & Fun Story, November 11, 2008

By 

S. Elliott "Techie" (California, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Porcupine Mouse (Hardcover)

The first comment our 7 year old has was, "It's so pretty...." -- She loved the pictures. And all three of our children (5, 7 & 9) thoroughly enjoyed the story, laughing multiple times during the reading.

BTW, the artwork *is* stunning.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Porcupine Mouse by Will Herman, March 13, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Porcupine Mouse (Paperback)

This book is a story about 2 mice. They are sent away by Mama Mouse to find a new house. The reason they had to find a new house for themselves is because they were the oldest 2 mice in the house and it was so crowded to begin with. Dan and Louie are scared of owls and cats, because they eat mice. They venture out and when they see a dark shadow swoop down from the trees the run to hide when they accidently bump into a new house. They walk in and notice its perfect so they stay there.
Dan and Louie end up having an arguement on how to decorate the house and they don't speak to each other until Louie runs out to get a bag of pine-cones and a cat is about to eat him. Dan tells the cat that Louie is really a porcupine and his spines were in the bag. The cat puts his hand in the bag and runs away and then he never comes back and they live happily ever after. I recommend this book because the illustrations are phenominal and it has a very good moral.