Review by Booklist Review
PreS. Young mouse Robert is delighted that snow is falling, but his family warns him that small animals and snow just don't mix. Despite warnings, he ventures out from the patched old shoe where he lives. Initially, he's delighted, jumping about as the snowflakes fall. A wonderful picture saturated with blue-and-white flakes shows the mouse, so tiny, in the center of the page. Robert is lost. Then, even more scary, a man appears. Children will be delighted to recognize the man as Santa Claus, who is kind enough to pick up Robert and bring him home. When the snow finally melts in the spring, Robert finds a present from the unknown (to Robert anyway) stranger: a new shoe for a mouse house. Lin's bright watercolors combine sweetness and humor. Sometimes the scenes are overlaid with snowflakes, adding dimension to the artwork. Young ones will identify with Robert's ebullience and his fear when he gets in (literally) over his head, as well as his satisfaction at being safely back home. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The mouse character that inspired Lin to create a money-raising campaign for cancer research (see Children's Books, Sept. 27) stars in this tale that opens as Robert and his family prepare for the winter. With the threat of snow approaching, the mice have no time to find an alternative to their home, fashioned from a boot ("a very old boot"). So they batten down the hatches (and tape up the door and windows). Having never experienced snow, Robert begs to go outside, but is met with disapproval. " `There's nothing to see!' Aunt Vicky scoffed.... `Small animals like us,' Mum said, `don't like snow.' " But one evening, Robert wishes on a "particularly bright star"; his window blows open and he slips out into the cold. When the hero loses his way, a large creature with "red fur" and a sack rescues him and deposits him back safely in his room. When spring arrives, the family discovers a surprise, and Robert guesses that the source was the visitor (who will be familiar to readers). Lin's fetching, rotund mice beam with familial closeness and she includes amusing details-the mice use push pins for doorknobs, bottle caps for plates and spools as stools. Snow-loving youngsters should easily identify with Lin's energetic hero. Ages 3-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A little mouse resides with his family in a leaky, old, leather boot that constantly needs repair. As winter approaches, the others are all for sealing themselves inside to shut out the cold. Robert has always yearned to play in the snow, so when he accidentally slips out of his window, he is delighted. Soon, however, he becomes lost and must be saved by a "big animal" with red fur and blue eyes. He delivers the little mouse to his home, and when the snow melts, Robert's family is mystified and delighted by the appearance of a brand-new boot right next to their old one. Like Robert, young readers will guess who left this thoughtful gift. Cellophane tape, postage stamps, and spools of thread are used to good effect inside Robert's crowded home, and these colorful domestic scenes contrast well with the patterned blue-and-white world outside. This is a cozy book for young children, with only a tiny hint of Christmas in it to add some holiday spice.-E. M. (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
When mouse Robert, fascinated by snow, accidentally falls from his window and into a snowdrift, he+s delighted+until he gets lost. He+s saved by a +big animal+ readers will recognize as Santa Claus, who surprises Robert with a fantastic gift. While they don+t obscure the limp story line, Lin+s details are nifty+holes in Robert+s discarded-boot house are plugged with jigsaw-puzzle pieces. (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
Robert, a playful mouse, and his sensible family live in a dilapidated shoe. Unlike his family who finds snow problematic, Robert loves the wintry white that blankets his landscape. But for the others, the deep snow and stormy weather mean nothing but work and worry. Winter sets in, snow falls, slowly covering the boot. A strong gust of wind blows open Robert's window, and soon he's out frolicking. Play turns to panic when he decides to return to his house: it's nowhere in sight. While frozen with fright, he's spotted, snatched up, and carried back to his warm, safe room by a red furry someone. Once spring arrives and the snow melts, the family ventures outside again, discovering a new shoe-home. Illustrations range in color and intensity from a deep, dense blue of a wintry night-sky, to fluffy, white snowflakes. Lin portrays Robert's glee perfectly as he romps, somersaults, falls, and exclaims, "I love the snow!" The huge mitten and shoe juxtaposed with Robert's tiny tail heighten the suspense as he attempts to hide. The illustrations convey what Robert knows and the young reader learns about that eventful Christmas Eve. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
