Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mouse loves having the yard next to his tree stump apartment to himself--"There was never a stick in the way. Or a shrub out of shape." But when neighbor Pak-Rat moves in, the newcomer, true to his name, brings a heap of belongings. In a series of paneled, thin-outlined cartoons, Frost (the Wombats series) shows how the stump's expansive, carefully cultivated green lawn becomes filled with gnomes, flamingoes, pinwheels, wind chimes, a mini-golf course, and a bright yellow inflatable tube figure. Instead of negotiating with Pak-Rat, Mouse does his best to be polite before turning desperate, burying all the junk in the dead of night. When discovered, Mouse screams "THIS STUFF IS TOO MUCH!" and falls supine on the once-beloved lawn. But Pak-Rat is largely calm, caring, and cooperative, which leads Mouse to a three-part epiphany: "One: Having a neighbor meant sharing the yard. Two: It was still going to be a problem sometimes. Three: It also meant having someone to do stuff with. Which was a very wonderful thing." Aligning with others may not always be easy, but Frost's terrific comic timing and lovably offbeat characters hint that resulting friendships can be worth it--waving inflatable tube and all. Ages 4--8. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Mouse in 2B of the tree stump duplex loves the tranquility and tidiness of his meticulously maintained yard, replete with room to stretch, move, and relax. One day, the ominously named "Lotta Stuff" moving truck pulls up to vacant 2A and Mouse's new neighbor Pak Rat unloads copious boxes of indoor and outdoor accoutrement. Mouse tries with all his might to ignore Pak Rat's ever-growing lawn ornament collection, but when the pinwheels, plastic flamingos, yard gnomes, and lawn inflatables multiply to the point of barely being able to see the grass, Mouse has to take matters into his own paws. Will Mouse and Pak Rat ever agree on the amount of "lawn flair" their shared space can handle? It turns out that dissent between reasonable rodents can be solved with a little bit of conversation and a lot of compromise. VERDICT This humorous and inventive comic book will entertain young readers and provide them a ready road map for conflict resolution and positive social skills.--Sarah Simpson
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Review by Horn Book Review
Frost's tribute to the importance of community and friendly compromise delivers its message through a solid mashup of effective cartooning, witty visual gags, and sentimental (not saccharine) writing. Mouse likes living alone in his tree-stump duplex, especially since it provides him with the control to keep his yard extremely tidy. But when Pak-Rat moves into the adjoining apartment, so does a lot of extra stuff -- including a forest of pinwheels, an army of garden gnomes, and even an inflatable dancing tube person. Unable to cope with a cluttered yard -- but too uncomfortable to speak up -- Mouse resorts to secretly burying his neighbor's possessions in the middle of the night. An amusing twist involving a friendly bespectacled mole unearthing the buried items forces Mouse into an honest conversation with Pak-Rat. "It's not that I don't like your stuff. There's just too much." Pak-Rat is initially surprised but respects his orderly neighbor's feelings, and the pair learns to share their space more equitably -- and have some fun in the process. Frost's writing balances earnest narration with an appealing cadence and more offbeat dialogue told entirely with word balloons. The mix of paneled page layouts, single pages, and double-page spreads transitions seamlessly -- while the numerous bold sound effects ("BOOP" "THWACK" "ZOOP"), streamlined character designs, jam-packed imagery, and vibrant colors provide continuous visual interest. A pleasingly humorous and harmonious tale. Patrick GallMay/June 2024 p.114 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
What would you do if someone dumped all their "treasures" in your yard? Mouse loves having his own yard. The lawn is always mowed to perfection, and there's never so much as a twig or a branch out of place. Mouse has room to stretch and play…until Pak-Rat moves into the other side of Mouse's tree trunk condo and begins decorating the shared yard with pinwheels, feline garden gnomes, chimes, and a flock of pink flamingos. Mouse dislikes the new additions, but he tries to ignore the intrusion. Finally, he attempts to express his concerns, but Pak-Rat can't hear him over all the noise his new decorations are making. One night, after Mouse reaches his breaking point, he digs a deep hole and buries Pak-Rat's lawn ornaments. Unfortunately, Mole unearths them all. It's time for Mouse to come clean to Pak-Rat, and they reach a compromise. They both learn that being neighbors means they need to share and be flexible--but it also means having a friend to do things with. Busy, colorful, digitally created cartoon illustrations vividly depict a timid, fastidious Mouse, a clueless, exuberant Pak-Rat, and an increasingly crowded yard. The detailed artwork will provoke laughter but will also provide opportunities for discussion. Plenty of sound effects and a few puns add to the reading fun. A funny and heartfelt demonstration of the right and wrong ways to resolve conflicts and share space. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
