Review by Booklist Review
On a stormy night, when all the lights in the city go out, Mouse (who is not actually a mouse) wonders if a light would help her feel less lonely, so she lights a small lantern. As Sam scurries by, Mouse's light makes him happy, so when he gets home, he lights one, too. As Harriet hurries by, Sam's light makes her joyful, so when she gets home, she also lights one. Soon this chain reaction spreads across the city, and Mouse looks out the window to realize in amazement that her one small light made a huge difference. Matheson has taken a beautiful departure from her interactive preschool picture books to spin this circular narrative about the importance of tiny gestures, the infectiousness of small kindnesses, and the beauty of community. Allepuz's illustrations show skill in a wide range of materials (stencils, collage, ink, crayon, printmaking) and complement the story with stunningly saturated colors--the stormy night displayed in deep hues of purple and blue, and the lights in warm, buttery pops of yellow and orange.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A lonely child shines a light in the darkness. Mouse feels alone on this chilly, stormy evening. When a power outage plunges the town into darkness, Mouse decides to light a lantern she made at school and set it on her front stoop. An adult, apparently Mouse's mother, helps her with the candle. The blustery winds blow out the flame, though the lantern itself doesn't topple; persistent Mouse relights the candle and goes inside. As the storm rages, passersby notice the lantern and are heartened by its light. Young Sam, walking his schnauzer and "worrying about a hundred small things," smiles at it; Harriet, who's cycling by in a hurry, is similarly inspired. One by one, they return home to kindle lights of their own. Throughout, Allepuz employs multimedia illustrations in a style reminiscent of G. Brian Karas, with an inviting, soft visual texture. Even greater play with contrasts between cool darkness and warm light might have enhanced the visual storytelling; as it is, the light feels a bit subdued. With guidance from adults, though, young people will come to understand and appreciate the book's gentle metaphor. Mouse and her parent are light-skinned with dark hair, Sam has skin the color of the background of the page, and Harriet appears to be brown-skinned. Warmly reassuring.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
