Adrift

PreS-Gr 1–Little Mouse is all alone in a small boat in the middle of the ocean. He is wearing a bright yellow slicker and has a plant with him, but he is clearly in a bit of trouble and scared. Readers don’t know how Little Mouse ended up in the ocean, but keep him company overnight and through a terrible storm the next day. Suddenly another boat helmed by a rabbit appears on the horizon. There is lots of waving and calling, but they do not come close enough for Little Mouse to feel safe. More time goes by, and now there are lots of boats joining Little Mouse—but they are all keeping to themselves. “They weren’t together but they weren’t alone,” which sums up the theme of this picture book. The message will be crystal clear to adults, and is compelling enough to engage children. Once they raise their spyglasses and spot land, the various animals gather on shore and celebrate. While it’s never spelled out how Little Mouse ended up alone and afraid, readers will find parallels in their own lives and in current events. Perfect for one-on-one reading, this has beautiful soft illustrations in grays and blues that highlight the sea when it is storming. Each of the boats that joins Little Mouse has colored sails, and once everyone is on land, bright colors explode across the page.