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THE MOUSE WHO ATE THE MOON

Name: THE MOUSE WHO ATE THE MOON
Author: Petr Horáček
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7059-7

by Petr Horáček ; illustrated by Petr Horáček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2014

This sweet, simple story provides a springboard for talks about shapes and simple fractions—and possibly what other...

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Uh-oh, did Little Mouse just eat part of the moon?

One evening, Little Mouse, tucked cozily in her bed, gazes out of her hole—a round, peek-through cut-out in the book’s page—and thinks: “The moon is beautiful...I would love to have my very own piece of the moon.” The next morning she finds a banana just outside her home and believes it’s a piece of the moon fallen from the sky. It smells so delicious that she just takes a little bite...and then another...until there’s only half a banana left. Now Little Mouse worries that because she ate part of the moon, it will no longer be round. Banana in tow, she trudges past her friends, Rabbit and Mole, confessing her crime to them. They reassure her, “Nobody can eat the moon.” But for some people (or mice), only seeing is believing, so Little Mouse’s wise friends coax her out at nightfall to a hilltop, where they see, peeking out from behind jagged cut-paper treetops, the bright, rounded top of the rising moon. By the next page, readers see Little Mouse jumping for joy in her orange-and-yellow stockings at the sight of the full moon. The richly textured, collaged mixed-media illustrations are rendered in deep indigos, spring greens and bright yellows.

This sweet, simple story provides a springboard for talks about shapes and simple fractions—and possibly what other celestial bodies can’t be eaten. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7059-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
GREEN HIPPO
by Petr Horáček ; illustrated by Petr Horáček

- BOOK REVIEW
TINY OWL'S SCARY DAY
by Petr Horáček ; illustrated by Petr Horáček

- BOOK REVIEW
A BEST FRIEND FOR BEAR
by Petr Horáček ; illustrated by Petr Horáček

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WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2025

An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates.

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Success comes at last for the bright-eyed Pigeon.

A clever, tongue-in-cheek ersatz colophon reveals that this graduate has been awarded a “Master of Ornery-thology, Bachelor of Arts of Persuasion with a Minor in Major Freak-outs (summa cum loudly).” Fans will be glad that the Pigeon’s tireless, abundant optimism is finally being ceremoniously recognized. On the cover, the Pigeon wears a mortarboard at a jaunty angle, commenting, “I have the hat!” Of course, dressing the part is essential. But also, “I did the work. I paid attention to the little details. I took some BIG steps.” The Pigeon encountered obstacles (not shown, but many memorable ones will come to mind for the Pigeon's followers). And the Pigeon is plagued by worries familiar to many students who are about to graduate: “WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN?!? What will I do? Who will I be?” The Pigeon appears in every frame, in close-ups and in poses variously thoughtful, confident, or slightly distressed. Our hero’s simple big eyes and wings are, as ever, remarkably expressive. “Oop!” In one scene, while walking off the dais, diploma in wing, the Pigeon comes to what seems like the edge of a chasm. At last, our hero takes flight with other graduates. Willems' popular characters Gerald and Piggie are there to look on admiringly.

An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781454960430

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)