Mouse rides into town sporting a cowboy hat, boots with spurs and riding a pony on a stick. The new kid in town, he receives a warm welcome from all the neighbors, from Badger to Giraffe to Donkey. But each welcome comes with a warning: “Beware!” A big, bad bully lives on the hill, “He’s huge and hairy, and wild and scary” and he will eat Mouse for sure. After unpacking and tidying up his house, fearless Mouse sets out (on his stick pony) to tame Big Wolf. His kind words take Wolf by surprise and in no time he’s crying on Mouse’s shoulder, “I’ve never had a friend before!” And down the hill they go to meet the rest of the guys. Oversized pages feature warmly colored characters that could be someone’s stuffed animals, creating immediate child appeal—and that wolf is a charming goofball. The unsubtle message is that kindness and apricot muffins will melt the heart of a bully. The more useful one is that sometimes the conventional wisdom is just plain wrong. (Picture book. 3-5)
