From School Library Journal
Gr 1-3–Filled with onomatopoeia, repetition, and the occasional rhyme, this installment offers another tale of friendship. Mouse ventures out into the snow to play while Mole stays warm in bed. Lonely Mouse builds her own playmate, Sno-Mole, whom she drags behind her on a sled to ice skate. Mole awakes just in time to see Mouse and her new companion heading down the path and becomes jealous. He bundles up and follows the pair to the pond where he tries to show off in front of Sno-Mole, but instead clumsily topples its head. When silly Mole recognizes his unfounded jealousy, he builds a Sno-Mouse to be Sno-Mole's best friend. Part Holly Hobbie's Toot and Puddle and part Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad, Mouse and Mole display the endearing qualities of an enduring friendship. As this circular story unravels, it turns back to where it started, with similar wording, a familiar setting, and the same actions from its characters. Young readers will likely enjoy the simple irony and straightforward plot, while the many color illustrations reinforce the action and help them in in their transition to beginning chapter books.–Lindsay Persohn, Crystal Lake Elementary, Lakeland, FLα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Yee continues his Mouse and Mole series with another winning installment, which opens on a winter morning. Once again, the best friends’ opposite personalities create friction: Mouse can’t wait to enjoy a day of sledding and skating, while Mole prefers to stay in bed. But after a farcical, mistaken-identity scene with a snowman, the friends come together for outdoor fun, followed by fireside tea and cookies. As in the series’ previous titles, catchy rhymes, brisk dialogue, onomatopoeic sounds, and winsome ink-and-watercolor illustrations will easily draw new readers to this seasonal, episodic friendship story. Grades K-3. --Gillian Engberg
Review
"Yee continues his Mouse and Mole series with another winning installment....As in the series' previous titles, catchy rhymes, brisk dialogue, onomatopoeic sounds, and winsome ink and watercolor illustrations will easily draw new readers to this seasonal, episodic friendship story."—Gillian Engberg, Booklist
"Young readers will likely enjoy the simple irony and straightforward plot, while the many color illustrations reinforce the action and help them in in their transition to beginning chapter books."—School Library Journal
Mouse and Mole, Fine Feathered Friends
A 2010 Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Award Winner
A Brand New Day with Mouse and Mole
"The stories are light, with simple plots, and the lively and expressive watercolor illustrations add energy and detail. A worthwhile addition to easy-reader collections."—School Library Journal
Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole
*"These two are a lovely addition to the pantheon of easy-reader pals."—School Library Journal, starred review
"The friendly, cooperative tone of the text is reminiscent of the Frog and Toad series." – Kirkus
"[T]he artwork nicely reinforces the story's action, the closeness between friends, and shared wonder in nature's magic."— Booklist
Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole
"The expressive bamboo-pen and watercolor with colored-pencil illustrations capture the humor of the situations as well as the emotions of the characters. With its controlled vocabulary, repetition, and humor, this tale of friendship also introduces opposites, homophones, and letter writing. A real winner."—School Library journal
"Kids will become more proficient at reading and also come away with a lesson in friendship."—Booklist
About the Author
Wong Herbert Yee lives in Michigan, where he writes and illustrates books for children including the Mouse and Mole series and the Fireman Small series. For a complete list of books by Wong Herbert Yee, visit www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com. For more information about Wong, visit his Web site at http://hometown.aol.com/wongherbertyee/
