CAT & MOUSE

A black cat chases a white mouse all around the house. Will Little Mouse be able to escape?

As the mouse hides in a box it becomes clear it’s not the best spot: Cat is in the big box just beside his. Time to run, Little Mouse. Round and round, down a hole, up and down the stairs, out the window to the calm outside. But Cat’s still chasing, and Little Mouse is tired, so he finds a hole in a tree to rest. Now it looks like Cat is tired too, and as they head back home, the text speculates: “Could this really be the end of the chase?” As readers turn to the last spread, they will be able to breathe easy: Cat and Mouse are sleeping together; they “are the best of friends.” German author and illustrator Teckentrup pairs simple, rhyming text (in uncredited translation) with textured illustrations and cleverly placed die cuts on each page to tell the story of two friends playing the age-old game of cat and mouse. Color too plays an important role as it marks time for the story, slowly changing from sunny daytime hues to dark blues, grays, and greens that signify the end of the day, time to rest, sleep—and perhaps start the game all over again tomorrow?

An ultimately reassuring, sweet story, with just enough excitement to delight young readers.