Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. The fun of exploring and playing with a willing older sibling is wonderfully conveyed in this tale of two barn mice in the fields. Katy Mouse agrees to go with Tiny on his first expedition, which Lawrence depicts in the technique he used to such good effect in This Little Chick (2002). The rich mixture of vinyl engravings, watercolor washes, and printed wood textures gives a timeless flavor to the adventure, as do Waddell's sweet story line and clear sentences: The two little mice scampered away through the long grass by the side of the stream. They climbed the knobby tree. Katy identifies for Tiny all the new, somewhat scary creatures they see: a rabbit, a tractor, a pheasant, a snail, a spider, and--oddest of all--an old boot. And together the mice come up with good games to play, such as climb-a-stalk. Lawrence brings their world to life with inviting colors, textures, and details; the mice may be small but they live a big adventure. --Abby Nolan Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Tiny's big sister Katy is brave, adventurous, and willing to teach him everything she knows. When the young mouse wants to see the wheat field, she immediately agrees to take him there. They encounter many things that are new and scary to Tiny, but Katy, with her greater knowledge of the world, is able to reassure him. Their activities, which include playing games and encountering all sorts of critters, are superbly rendered in Lawrence's eye-catching illustrations. Made from vinyl engravings, watercolor washes, and textured printing, the artwork will be familiar to fans of the artist's This Little Chick (Candlewick, 2002). Aside from a few full-bleed spreads, the pictures and text boxes are framed, making them feel like sequential snapshots of the siblings' expedition. The palette consists primarily of muted blues and browns with highlights of rich gold, red, and yellow, giving the impression of light filtering down through the stalks of wheat. Children will relate to the sometimes-frightening feelings that come with venturing into the unknown and they will be reassured by this gentle, fun adventure.-Genevieve Gallagher, Orange County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) The story is vintage Waddell: Katy Mouse guides her little brother Tiny on his first expedition to the wheat field. Tiny's initial elation, nicely conveyed with verbs like scamper and dance, soon changes to trepidation: ""Is it a cat?"" But Katy is comfortingly knowledgeable: ""It's a rabbit...I know. I've seen rabbits before."" Their mouse-sized play is beguiling indeed (""They played climb-the-tractor...but the wheel was too big for a small mouse to turn""). Meanwhile, Lawrence's vinyl engravings, enhanced with watercolor washes and printed wood textures, establish the appealing pair's affectionate relationship on a barn-interior title spread--a darkly dramatic prelude to the field's welcoming palette of turquoise and gold, which effectively sets off the more realistic tones of the mice. When Tiny gets lost playing hide-and-seek, the artist uses multiple, smaller frames that accelerate the visual pace and heighten the sense of anxiety. There's a tender reunion, and then the best game: playing house in the formerly scary old boot that so alarmed Tiny while separated from Katy. Visually lovely, graphically distinguished, and perfectly cadenced, this warm-hearted adventure belongs in every library. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Under the watchful eye of his big sister, a very small mouse ventures out into the wide world for the first time. Tiny is happy to have his sister Katy along, not only for games of climb-a-stalk and catch-me-mouse, but also to provide reassurance that, no, that's not a cat, but a rabbit: not an owl, but a harmless pheasant. In digitally assembled vinyl cuts and watercolor washes, Lawrence uses strong lines with a limited palette to depict small but seemingly spot-lit mice scampering amid huge, mysterious-looking gold or grayish blue masses of wheat stalks, wildflowers, and farm equipment. Tiny suffers some anxious moments when he becomes separated from Katy--but she finds him soon enough, and as the two make their way back to the barn, Tiny is already talking about next time. Like Jane Simmons's Come Along, Daisy (1998) or Waddell's own Owl Babies (1992), illustrated by Patrick Benson, this makes comforting reading for timorous little mice of the two-legged sort. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
