Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Making a solo debut with this cozy chapter book series opener, Powell (Soft and Sticky) presents a lively adventure helmed by an optimistic mouse protagonist. Eager to follow in his great-aunt Ada's footsteps, Marty Moose is excited for his first day as the new mailmouse in Little Ditch. Great-Aunt Ada once delivered 827 letters in a single morning, and Marty is determined to live up to her stellar reputation. As he embarks on his mail-delivering journey, however, Marty becomes lost in an underground rabbit warren--until handstand-doing, karate-chopping, trumpet-playing resident Nibbles Frizzby points him in the right direction. Now accompanied by the boisterous bunny, Marty continues on his way, only to come across another daunting obstacle: a house with a yard full of booby traps. Though Marty is hesitant to move forward, remembered advice from Great-Aunt Ada helps the mailmouse steel his courage: "Just because you're small doesn't mean you can't be brave." Cheeky text in varying sizes and fonts imparts mood and volume, while intricate grayscale illustrations with red highlights pepper every page. It's a roller coaster of a book loaded with mayhem, wordplay, burps and farts, and onomatopoeia that will keep readers tuned in and laughing out loud. Ages 6--9. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--4--In this adventurous first series installment, Marty is embarking on his first official day as a mail mouse in the wondrous town of Little Ditch. This tale is filled to the brim with adorable alliteration and tons of onomatopoeias, sure to get kids giggling. The charming and nostalgic monochromatic illustrations featuring shades of bright red are the perfect companion to the short chapters featured in Powell's transitional chapter book debut. Following in the footsteps of his great-aunt Ada, the small (yet brave) Marty hopes to become the greatest mail carrier his town has ever seen! What follows is nonstop chaos, disgusting twin-toad battles, and a new friend Nibbles, a goofy rabbit reminiscent of the Cat in the Hat and Mad Hatter. However, some younger readers may find the alliterations a bit difficult to comprehend, and to pronounce. Fans of Geronimo Stilton, The Bad Guys, and "Captain Underpants" will love this lovable and silly tale of a cheese-hating mouse's first day of work. VERDICT Powell's illustrations match perfectly with the text; this would be a great addition to any library's early chapter book collection.--Sarah Nashak
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night keeps this plucky mouse from his deliveries. Having grown up hearing the tales of his intrepid Great-Aunt Ada, aka "the GREATEST MAILMOUSE WHO EVER LIVED," Marty Moose is determined to follow in her footsteps. (The book's opening pages explain that Marty's unusual name is the result of a birth certificate error.) He sallies forth on his first day of work. Unfortunately, a prankster in the mailroom has slipped two packages that don't belong into Marty's pack. Initially all goes well, and though Marty gets lost while making deliveries in a rabbit warren, he befriends Nibbles Frizzby, a bunny best described as a "complete andutter kook," with a personality that's equal parts trickster and wise fool. When Marty delivers the prankster's packages to a pair of feuding toads, he finds himself in dire circumstances. Now Marty must not only escape with his life, but also find the blackguard who's tricked him. Plenty of potty humor and a justified but still mean-spirited ending threaten to waylay the book's earnest premise, but Marty's good humor and Nibbles' genuine hilarity do much to alleviate such concerns. Powell's expressive and cartoonish line drawings also bring to life both Marty's own emotional roller coaster and the chaos his adventures unleash. Postal pranks and mailroom mischief make for a series starter worth writing home about.(Chapter book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
