There's a Mouse in my House!

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-Charming illustrations can't save this clunky tale. A boy's mother has told him to kill a mouse, while the mouse's mother has told her to ask if they may live in the house. The mouse, sensing her imminent demise, begs for "her last three wishes," which consist of cheese, soda, and a chance to tell her story. She then launches into an involved tale of her family history, a litany of dangers from cats, dogs, humans, and other predators. Finally, the boy relents, allowing the mouse and her mother to stay. Some clever touches do appear: the mouse says that her ancestors Hickory, Dickory, and Dock became the Three Blind Mice later in life, and she herself finally reveals that her name, befitting her situation, is Scheherazade. However, these touches are overwhelmed by the forced rhyme of the story: "'Oh, please,' I said. 'Give me a break/This is just a stall for time/Let's get this over quickly/Without reason, without rhyme.'" Watts's illustrations are appealing enough, particularly the doe-eyed charmer of a mouse with a big yellow bow on her head. However, the subpar story and the cruelty-to-animals aspect make this book easy to pass up.Kathleen M. Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
In this charming, fun-to-read tale, a young boy is told to get rid of a mouse who has entered the family home. However, that may not be as easy as he thinks - for this is no ordinary mouse. In order to avoid her certain demise, the mouse convinces the boy to grant her three wishes - a glass of soda pop, some cheese and a chance to tell her story. And tell it she does... Sheree Fitch has written many books for children. Her most recent book is "If You Could Wear My Sneakers!" Sheree Fitch lives near Halifax, Nova Scotia. Leslie Elizabeth Watts illustrated "The Beauty Who Would Not Spin" and is the author-illustrator of "Princess Stinky-Toes and the Brave Frog Robert" and "The Troll of Sora." She lives in Harriston, Ontario.


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PreS-Gr 2-Charming illustrations can't save this clunky tale. A boy's mother has told him to kill a mouse, while the mouse's mother has told her to ask if they may live in the house. The mouse, sensing her imminent demise, begs for "her last three wishes," which consist of cheese, soda, and a chance to tell her story. She then launches into an involved tale of her family history, a litany of dangers from cats, dogs, humans, and other predators. Finally, the boy relents, allowing the mouse and her mother to stay. Some clever touches do appear: the mouse says that her ancestors Hickory, Dickory, and Dock became the Three Blind Mice later in life, and she herself finally reveals that her name, befitting her situation, is Scheherazade. However, these touches are overwhelmed by the forced rhyme of the story: "`Oh, please,' I said. `Give me a break/This is just a stall for time/Let's get this over quickly/Without reason, without rhyme.'" Watts's illustrations are appealing enough, particularly the doe-eyed charmer of a mouse with a big yellow bow on her head. However, the subpar story and the cruelty-to-animals aspect make this book easy to pass up.-Kathleen M. Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.


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