An engaging mouse adventure with a solid moral.
A scared mouse finds a creative way to deal with a dangerous cat in this picture book.
Bespectacled mouse Teaky Squeaker is so frightened that she doesn’t want to leave her house. She’s also allergic to cheese. While many of her fears are imaginary, the big, red feline Ketchup poses a real threat. Determined to catch the mouse, Ketchup tries everything—and Teaky realizes she must do something about the cat. Although it means going outdoors, Teaky leads Ketchup to a place where felines are happy, and discovers there is much more of the world to see. Back in her domain, she copes with a wrecked house from Ketchup’s attacks. But “as she built her home anew, Teaky saw how much she grew.” Pasternak relates Teaky’s story in simple, rhyming phrases, offering a few challenging vocabulary words (stalked, scheme) for emergent readers. Many readers will note that the world is filled with perils and Teaky’s fears are well founded, but her ability to overcome them through cunning and determination should inspire youngsters. Silvani’s soft-edged cartoon illustrations show mice and cats of several different colors and clever, mouse-inspired cars. Ketchup is suitably scary in the Big Bad Wolf role, and Teaky’s grand plan, featuring a map filled with cheese-inspired names and the feline haven “Meowtopia,” is well drawn to convey the action of her escapade. Mouse versions of real landmarks that appear on Teaky’s journey add a humorous touch to the enjoyable tale.
An engaging mouse adventure with a solid moral.Pub Date: April 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73725-951-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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