FICTION

Side by Side

by Rachel BRIGHT
illus. by Debi Gliori. 32p. Scholastic. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545813266.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Little Mouseling is a tiny child with a huge heart. From a big family of wide-eyed mice, she loves time together but struggles to keep up with her many siblings and is left alone in the Wintermouse Wood. Little Mouseling tries many friends to quiet her loneliness but to no avail. Toad wants to jump in the water, but Mouseling can't swim. Squirrel wants to climb, and Owl wants to fly, but the young mouse is too afraid to find any true companionship in these new friends. Just when Little Mouseling is ready to give up, a new friend comes along , with whom she's happy to spend every day, side by side. This sweet story about finding a friend brings together all of the adorable elements of woodland creatures with all the woes of finding the perfect companion.
VERDICT With pleasant rhyme and delightful illustrations, this title will attract young readers.
Reviewed by Ashley Prior, Lincoln Public Library, RI
Little Mouseling is so small that she can't keep up with her siblings. Her search for a friend is fruitless--she can't swim like Toad Flip, fly like Owl Hooty, etc.--until she meets a vole that's just her size. After they bond, the story loses steam, but the rhymes are wall-to-wall comfort, and Gliori is at her effulgent best.
, Apr 01, 2015

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