Mouse and Mole

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, FL