Review by Booklist Review
Every morning, Doctor Mouse opens his office for consultations on any issue, physical or psychological, and it's not long before the first patients wander in: a nauseous bear, a shy rabbit, and a nearsighted owl, to name a few. Before beginning, however, Doctor Mouse waits until all the waiting-room chairs are filled. This turns out to be a brilliant approach, as the chatty patients begin solving their problems among themselves. For example, the bear (who subsists entirely on cream cakes) offers to be the rabbit's friend, and she in turn offers to make him healthier meals. As the little community works through its issues, Doctor Mouse happily munches on cheese. It's a charming premise, though the text itself may be a bit complicated for the target audience and the conversations among the anthropomorphized animals translated from the original French read awkwardly at times. Jackowski's illustrations, however, are warm and whimsical, chock-full of marvelous details, and readers will adore this cozy world where a caring community is the best cure.--Emily Graham Copyright 2020 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--4--In this translated story first published in Switzerland, a quirky mouse doctor sees patients in his cozy barn from sunup to sundown. Those who arrive for the day include a chicken who is frightened of a ghost, a bear who has eaten too much cream cake and is experiencing stomach discomfort, and an owl with vision concerns. After listening carefully to each of their complaints, Dr. Mouse sits back and allows the patients to find cures for one another. Despite his seeming lack of involvement, bear proclaims that he is the "Best doctor in the world" and that "He always knows what to do." French illustrator Jackowski's characters appear in mostly the same setting on each page, the homey barn complete with hay bales and mismatched chairs. The anthropomorphized animals are charming and reminiscent of Valeri Gorbachev's classic forest creatures. The text is a bit stilted and just a touch too long for the intended audience, but the concept and story will appeal to young readers, especially those who enjoy the sweet and whimsical animal tales of A.A. Milne or Toon Tellegen. VERDICT A humorous, if slightly wordy, addition with engaging artwork and an upbeat message. A suitable read-aloud for groups or individual children in anticipation of a visit to a doctor.--Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A white-coated mouse opens his barn-cum-office daily to a variety of equally anthropomorphic animalsall of whom benefit from the good doctor's unconventional methods.On the first verso, readers see the diminutive doctor pushing open the doors of his large red barn while the text on the stark-white recto explains his routine, which includes hanging his sign: "Consultations from sunrise to sunset." He then seats himself on three cushions piled up on a chair and begins munching his breakfast cheese. Despite the annoyed clucks of his first patientMs. ChickenDr. Mouse insists on waiting for his visitor chairs to fill up before beginning examinations. The strategy is clearly successful; Dr. Mouse facilitates healing, whether medical or psychological, for each animaland each therapy conveniently comes from another patient. (Mr. Fox, who enters late, denies an illness but acquires a needed snacknot, happily, a fellow patientand just happens to have spectacles in his backpack for Ms. Owl.) The comedy lies in the detailed, cheerful, and painterly illustrations as well as the funny, often surprising, conversations. Even the youngest readers will giggle at the diet of Mr. Bear, whose complaint is a hurting stomach: cream cake for breakfast, lunch, and supper. His cure will come from Ms. Rabbit, and he in turn sweetly outlines a plan to help her overcome shyness. The ending is a funny revelation.Charming, upbeat quirkiness. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
