Cousins’s lovable pink-whiskered mouse returns in a charming, bucolic tale. Maisy greets the day diligently doing her morning chores around the barnyard. Preschoolers get a glimpse of a farmer’s life as Maisy bustles about tending to her animals. As always, the topic, while simply presented, piques a preschooler’s interest. Readers discover that farm animals want their breakfast too—chickens gobble up corn, sheep graze in the grass, pigs eat at their trough, and even the cows are milked before Maisy settles down to her own repast. The brief tale works well for both ends of the pre-k spectrum: toddlers will delight in recognizing familiar farm animals while older readers will be fascinated by the origins of the milk in their cereal bowls. Vividly colored, full-page illustrations accompany the text. The zippy pictures feature brilliant background hues in neon orange fire-engine red, as well as Cousins’s familiar chunky figures. A surefire pleaser for the many fans of the popular TV show and book series. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7636-1610-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Schaefer weaves an enchanting bedtime tale for rambunctious tots. A quartet of harried animal mothers endeavor to get their little ones tucked into bed. Not surprisingly, their mischievous offspring promptly provide a myriad of reasons to postpone bedtime; bear cubs frolic in the undergrowth, ravenous hedgehogs search for a morsel of food, energetic bunnies play a final game of peek-a-boo, and a trio of toadlets serenade their Mommy with one last song. Grandma Owl, a veteran Mom herself, soon assesses the situation and calls the troops to order with the clarion call of story time. With her simple lullaby she calms the restless youngsters and soon the forest is quiet as they drift off to dream-land. Cabban’s lush watercolors capture the loveliness of the forest at dusk in a symphony of colors ranging from deep emerald to soft lavender hues. Irresistibly cuddly creatures cavort across the full-page illustrations, capturing readers’ fancies. Young readers can readily relate to the delaying tactics of the sleep-wary babies while parents and caregivers will empathize with the weary animal mothers. A cozy tale that provides a soothing transition from play-time to bedtime for bustling babies and toddlers. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0843-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a tell-all exposé, Miss Mouse describes a typical day in her life with her toddler companion. Ormerod focuses on the daily activities familiar to young children: eating, painting, dressing up, building sandcastles, and sliding. Each activity leaves its mark, quite literally, upon Miss Mouse, who appears increasingly rumpled as the day’s adventures unfold, culminating in a swan-like dive into a giant mud puddle. Rescued by nightfall and clean again, Miss Mouse snuggles into bed, where her day concludes as it began—“with a cuddle.” Ormerod deftly captures the busyness that’s indigenous to toddlerhood as Miss Mouse’s companion eagerly flits from one activity to the next. Using a combination of short sentences, exclamations, and fervent utterances, the narrative voice perfectly captures what one would imagine to be the thought processes of a faithful stuffed companion. Accompanying the text are framed illustrations of varying sizes; with several appearing on each page, they create the sensation that the reader is perusing a series of movie stills. The exuberant illustrations adroitly mirror the sentiments of the text and eloquently expand upon the brevity of the prose. Gaily colored pages, featuring high-interest subjects, are ideal for young toddlers. However, for the full effect, this is best shared one-on-one so little ones can spend their time poring over the illustrations. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-16333-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
