MOLE BOOKS: MOLE CALLS THE POLICEMAN, A VISIT TO THE BAKER & MOLE TAKES WOOFIE TO THE VET

A mole shares his world in this illustrated children’s book, part of a series.

Mole adores being part of his community and meeting new people, so it makes sense that this lovable creature would helm a series in which he gets to introduce and learn more about important residents of his town. In the first story, Mole and his sister, Molie, discover that two neighbors, Ratter and Rattle, have been raiding their mother’s vegetable garden and stealing the yield. Mole reports the perpetrators to the police. The culprits get a distinct talking to in jail and an important message about the police and how they enforce laws. In the second tale, Mole and his family visit the local baker, where Mole takes a hands-on approach to finding out how he makes the delicious treats the clan nibbles on. In the third and final story, Mole, Molie, and their parents take their sick pup to the veterinarian, and it’s in her office that they observe the many animals she takes care of, from bright parrots to cuddly hamsters. In each tale, Sarna (Mole Witnesses a Miracle in Nature & Explore the World of Frogs with Mole, 2016, etc.) showcases important members of Mole’s society. The baker, veterinarian, and police are all figures that young readers can see working in their own towns, and gleaning more information about these key neighbors should delight many children, depending on their areas of interest. While the stories could use a bit more development, each one contains a valuable lesson—for instance, that stealing is wrong and laws should be followed—so there is a touch of fable here, too. But the book has capitalization errors, which take away from the fun-loving mole’s adventures. For instance, Sarna writes: “A Baker is a community helper who bakes various kinds of Breads, Cakes and Cookies. Mole and Molie loved the delicious fragrance of fresh breads and sweet cakes inside Tim’s Bakery.” Another round of editing would have polished the volume. The illustrations are vivid, if rudimentary (and the human cast, while featuring some career women, lacks diversity). But young readers should enjoy the splashes of color the images add to Mole’s straightforward tales.

A simple, useful look at community helpers.