Mouse and Mole, fine feathered friends

In their latest round of endearing adventures, best pals Mouse and Mole suit up excitedly for a day of springtime bird-watching, but before they can focus their binoculars, each of their subjects flies away. Compromising and cooperating are the themes as the friends find elaborate, creative solutions to their problems and make a final project that celebrates their individual talents. Once again, transitional readers will enjoy the well-paced text's wordplay (including lots of puns); the gentle, realistic friendship conflicts; and the ink-and-watercolor artwork that captures the story's humor, action, and feeling.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist

PreS-Gr 2-Mouse and Mole, who are reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad, share an interest in birds. It's spring, when the birds come back, so they set out with their binoculars, sketch pad, and crayons to find them. When they attempt to draw them, the startled creatures fly away, and the plot builds to a hilarious climax when the two friends improvise a plan to attract them. Simple text and italicized words as Mouse and Mole identify the birds and mimic their songs are closely supported by small, colorful illustrations. The sunlit, warm days of the season are suggested by the light pastel, water-based gouache illustrations of the cartoonlike characters and setting details that are lightly outlined by lithograph pencil. This adventure incorporates themes of cooperation, teamwork, and achieving a common goal through combined creativity and talents. The themes and inherent lessons will resonate with primary-grade students, who will flock to this easy reader. Younger children will enjoy listening to the story.-Monica Fleche, Union Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.