Babymouse #3: Beach Babe (Paperback)

by Jennifer L. Holm (Author), Matt Holm (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3–Babymouse's family spends summer vacation at the beach. During boring or difficult times, the young mouse uses her imagination to take her to far more interesting and exciting places. Her younger brother wants to play with her, but, like most big sisters, Babymouse wants nothing to do with him. When he runs away, she realizes how important he is to her, and how much fun they can have. The story moves quickly, and readers are sure to notice that whenever Babymouse has trouble with a character, it is illustrated as a cat. The black-and-white cartoons are highlighted with splashes of pink that become darker when the action intensifies. This book will be popular with young graphic novel fans as well as devotees of the genre in general, especially reluctant readers.–Ronnie Gordon, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. If Ian Falconer's pig Olivia grew a few years and turned into a mouse, she would be Babymouse. In this third hyperkinetic, pink-washed adventure, as frolicsome and breathlessly paced as the previous two, the squiggly whiskered heroine heads for a family summer on the beach. Packed with the energy of 100 kids, she launches a catastrophic surfing career and tries to keep little brother Squeak out of her fur. Adventurous and refusing to stick to gender-stereotyped pursuits, Babymouse is on the lookout for a partner to share her flights of fancy. A slight penchant for selfishness notwithstanding, before the summer is through, she realizes that the perfect playmate has been sitting right under her pink nose all along. Both story and art take full advantage of the lively possibilities of Babymouse turned loose from school (where teachers educate via the "blah blah blah" method) to explore the larger world with an imagination run wild. Jesse Karp
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375832319
• ISBN-13: 978-0375832314
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,869 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Irrepressible Spirit of Babymouse Shines Through, May 24, 2006

By	Jennifer Robinson "Editor of Jen Robinson's B... (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Babymouse: Beach Babe sat on my coffee table the day after it arrived, looking very pink, and calling out, in a high-pitched, squeaky sort of voice "read me." Eventually, just before bedtime, I gave in. And I have to say, after missing the first two books in the series, that I am now in love with Babymouse.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, the Babymouse books are graphic novels, with engaging pink and black pictures, designed for the 8 to 12 set. They feature an indomitable heroine, with a rich fantasy life, and loving, if largely invisible, parents. This installment begins with Babymouse dreaming of being a surfing champion, only to wake to discover that (oh great joy!) it's the last day of school. After making it through the day, Babymouse learns (oh greater joy!) that her family will be vacationing at the beach. What follows is a mixture of real-life beachside trials and tribulations (sand-castles, surfing, sunburn, and boardwalks) and fantastical adventures (mermaids and genies in magic bottles).

But the real story is Babymouse's relationship with her much younger brother, Squeak. Anyone who has ever had a younger sibling, or been a younger sibling, will be able to relate to the images of Squeak, ready with his kite, eager for his adored older sister to play with him. And, sadly, we can also relate to Squeak's desolation when Babymouse is too busy, running off on her adventures. There's a scene in which Squeak's heart literally breaks, upon rejection from Babymouse. Clearly, the brother-and-sister creators of this book have some real-life experience in matters of older and younger siblings. You'll have to read the book yourself to see how it turns out.

Babymouse: Beach Babe is a quick and easy read, and will definitely appeal to reluctant grade school readers. Two things make the book stand out for me. The first is the irrepressible spirit of Babymouse, as expressed through her actions, through the wonderful drawings, and through her discussions with the invisible narrator. She carries echoes of Anne Shirley in her dramatic failures, and of Pippi Longstocking in her bravado. The other thing that I love about this book is the regular seasoning of small, humorous details. The scene where Babymouse cleans out her locker, finding, among other things, troublesome gnomes, aliens, and the dish that ran away with the spoon, made me laugh out loud.

Babymouse: Beach Babe is the kind of book that you want to read with someone else nearby, so that you can hold it up and say "look at this!" at intervals. I think that my elementary school nieces will adore it. As for me, Babymouse: Beach Babe made me wish that I had been a little nicer to my younger siblings. It also made me nostalgic for childhood summer vacations, where life's biggest problem is "who am I going to play with?" It's an excellent read for the start of the summer.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on May 7, 2006.

5.0 out of 5 stars I love Babymouse!!!, December 21, 2008

By	Jane Markham "love to teach" (new york burbs) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am an educator and I teach kids with learning issues of all ages. I recently discovered Babymouse and have offered it to many of my students, boys and girls, and they all read one and ask for more. Babymouse is charming and lovable. She struggles with real world problems such as the mean girl, the scary teacher and issues of loyalty and friendship. Kids who don't read well have access to a rich story line with Babymouse due to the graphics, which are delightful. The clever and non-patronizing humor also draws even the most reluctant reader in, causing them to read and then re-read their favorite parts. I enthusiastically recommend Babymouse.

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for the girl aged 8-10, September 17, 2008

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This simple cartoon book will appeal to the child of around 10. Babymouse manages to survive her last day of school before summer vacation and then she goes with her family to the beach. It is a lengthy trip, full of many "Are we there yets? When they get there, she ignores her younger brother, she surfs until she has a major wipe-out, she gets a severe burn, is chased by a shark while snorkeling, rides some great rides at the carnival and gets repeatedly annoyed by her brother.
When her brother then runs away because she won't play with him, Babymouse is terrified, running outside in her nightgown looking for him. When reunited, they enjoy the rest of their vacation, doing everything together and having more fun than they thought possible.
I have a teenage daughter and read to her when she was young and purchased books for her as she got older. In my opinion, she would have loved this book had she read it when she was the appropriate age.