A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole

My children (six and four-and-a-half as of this writing) enjoy these "Mouse and Mole" stories. The mole is male and the mouse is female, with the former being a bit cranky and stuck in his ways. The mouse offsets the mole with her positive attitude and encouragement, so the two have a complementary relationship that lends itself to creative storytelling. Great pictures and good stories, but a bit wordy at times. There are a lot of pictures, though, so your children's attention probably won't get lost and the text is not highbrow, so the book should make for a few good reads with the young ones.

Mole was inside his underground house, but when he got dressed he felt a bit of a chill and couldn't figure out why. He checked both doors, but that wasn't it. "Rats! There is a hole in my pants!" It didn't take him long to notice there was one in his shirt too. It wouldn't be very nice to "start a brand-new day in old clothes." He started checking out the rest of his wardrobe and found that most of them were moth eaten. "Ratty-rat-rat!" He about had it when moths flew out of a drawer! When Mouse came to the door, he was in a bad, bad mood and scared her when he was yelling at those "pesky moths." They decided that going out to eat would make him feel better, but not before he tied a scarf around his holey pants. Lightly fried worms would be just the ticket. Yum, yum! After that they decided to shop, but Mole was a dull duck and "he looked out of place." He was no fashion plate for sure. Later they went fishing and no luck there . . . Mole was even scared half to death by an old tire. Mouse and Mole each had an idea about how to make their brand-new day into a great-new day. A little ingenuity goes a long way and they would surprise each other! This book and its illustrations were not only charming, but it was also a very humorous book. The reader will start to giggle when he or she sees Mole scramble to cover up the hole in his pants. The beautiful illustrations make this a visual treat that will assist the first time chapter book reader understand and enjoy the plot. Hey, I think you'll love this book, but as Mole says, "Hay is for horses!" Your youngster will love it!

Really charming. There are two others with Mouse and Mole and I am buying other books by Wong Herbert Yee that are in a different vein. A very welcome and talented children's book writer-illustrator.