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THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOUSE by Edward Cooper

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOUSE

From the Mr. Mouse series, volume 1

by Edward Cooper & written and illustrated by Mirah Clarke

Pub Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Edward Cooper

A selfish hamster learns about the benefits of sharing from two generous mice.

Mr. Mouse isn’t a mouse at all; he’s a hamster that has everything a rodent could want: adoring owners, a multilevel house, a deluxe hamster wheel and an endless supply of nuts. One evening, two mice stop by to ask him if they can play on the wheel, and the hamster brusquely refuses to let them in. In a predictable twist of fate, Mr. Mouse falls out of his cage the next night and quickly becomes frightened and lonely. The mice find him, invite him to their humble abode and show him lavish hospitality. Lesson learned. The rhyming text is sloppy and forced, and at times it is even confusing. For example, when the mice find Mr. Mouse they approach him “to make amends.” Wait…isn’t it the ill-tempered, stingy hamster who should be apologizing? Many of the graphics are static, but the app also has considerable bobble and tilt action (though such features often distract rather than enhance). Icons make navigation easy, but to trigger narration, the play button must be tapped on each page.

Apart from decent navigation and a few touch features that are only briefly entertaining, nothing in this app rises above mediocrity.

(iPad storybook app. 4-7)