If you want to write a story

A small mouse sits at a desk with a furrowed brow, surrounded by discarded papers littering the floor. Observing the mouse's struggle with writer's block, a stuffed bunny springs into action to lead the mouse down a rabbit hole of imagination. An ordinary cardboard box becomes a rocket ship, blasting the critters into space past chocolate-chip-cookie-like space rocks. "Writing a story is like traveling through space. It may take a long time. You may not know where you're going, but sooner or later...you arrive!" Landing on a strange planet, the mouse and rabbit encounter a menacing cyclops and a goofy, grape-colored extraterrestrial with several more eyes than legs. When the cyclops captures the rabbit, the mouse draws from the inspiration that exists all around to rewrite the end of their story. Mack (recently the more earthbound Time to Make Art, rev. 1/24) here revisits the theme of creativity, smartly blending an elaborate analogy of the writing process into the visual telling of one mouse's space odyssey. Digital illustrations in saturated hues depict deep magenta skies, tangerine orange terrain, and turquoise seas. This cosmic adventure will inspire many readers to write their own stories and follow their imaginations to unexpected places. Emily BrushSeptember/October 2025 p.47 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A small brown mouse learns how to construct a narrative. Mack addresses his audience directly, writing in the second person; his suggestions are interpreted by the long-tailed protagonist, clad in green footie pajamas. The first requirement is an idea: The writer is advised to "look around" and "pick one." A beginning is born when the mouse chases the idea (a stuffed rabbit, sprung to life) outside to a cardboard box turned spaceship. In what is likely a nod to 1985'sIf You Give a Mouse a Cookie (as are the choice of lead character and the titular phrasing), the hero and pal blast past heavenly bodies depicted as chocolate chip confections, landing on an orange surface. Mack adds excitement in the form of a problem (a villainous alien who steals the rabbit). He notes that writing can be overwhelming, but he urges aspiring authors to be open to changing direction. He controls pacing by varying his digital compositions from sequential panels of different shapes and sizes to double-page spreads that bleed off the page. Mack offers an immensely entertaining tale while explaining various processes in clear, practical steps. The book ends with the mouse returning home to read the completed story to interested parents; Mack leaves readers with questions ("How does it sound when you read it out loud? Would you change anything") that might encourage them to do a bit of editing. The ideal vehicle for inspiring children's own flights of fancy.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.