Create with Maisy: A Maisy First Arts-and-Crafts Book

PreS-Gr 2—Maisy the mouse, star of dozens of books and her own TV series, presents 16 simple crafts. The projects are all standard fare, e.g., paper lanterns, a pasta necklace, and seed pictures. Each one has concise step-by-step instructions and a color photograph of the finished artwork. In most cases, the activities are so simple that individual illustrations, guides, or patterns are not required, and the book provides none. Cousins includes cartoons of the mouse and her friends on most pages, and their comments about the crafts appear in the familiar font used in her picture books. Sesame Street Crafts All Year Round (Paragon, 2010) presents a wider variety of original activities for different skill levels, but many are too advanced for preschoolers. Cousins's book is a good choice for Maisy fans, and for anyone who is looking for very basic craft ideas.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT