THE OUTERMOST MOUSE

Rodent versus nature.

The Outermost Mouse loves everything about her life: the wind, the water, the sky, the sand, and, best of all, the Outermost House, which sits alongside the ocean. Alas, the sea is encroaching on her home, and no one seems to care. Attempts to barricade the home with sand and shells are for naught, and even the old man who owns the home finally abandons it. Yet when the waves sweep the house into the ocean, the Outermost Mouse remains, commanding the dwelling like a ship, “the sea itself singing her name as she joined the ranks of captains everywhere.” The lesson here, if indeed there is one, is subject to the reader’s interpretation. Perhaps it’s about accepting what you cannot change, not letting it defeat you. Certainly, there’s no escaping the feeling of hope and vitality in the face of chaos and change. Newbery Medalist Wolk’s carefully selected words conjure up classic children’s tales: “The fox just grinned his sly grin and trotted away in his smart black boots, as foxes are apt to do.” Meanwhile, Adam’s dreamlike watercolors will make readers feel as though they, too, inhabit this enchanting world; they’ll feel the same warmth and love as the mouse does for her home.

A “song worth singing, and a world worth saving” best describes this triumphant tale of defending what you love.