PIP & SQUEAK

This appealing picture book profiles the winter journey of mice Pip and Squeak, as they go from their home in a mailbox through a rural landscape buried under snow, to the birthday celebration of their forest friend, Gus. The briskly succinct text manages to hold its own with alliteration, repetition and even a touch of wordplay. But as with many books for the very young, the bright pictures do much of the heavy lifting. The action-packed, mixed-media paintings are big and bold, with a nimble handling of color, texture, perspective and momentum. The lap set will delight in the escapades of the intrepid rodents as they traipse like trapeze artists across a clothesline and scale a snowman as if it were Mount Everest. One minute, kids will feel superior to Pip, who mistakes the snowman’s carrot nose for cheese; the next, they will hold their breath as the little fellow tumbles off the side of the snowman. Rest assured: This soon-to-be popular offering ends on a happy—albeit surprising—note. (Picture book. 1-4)