MOUSE CLEANING

Grandma Twilly is sorely lacking in motivation. She simply cannot find the energy to get on with her spring cleaning, and a good cleaning is undoubtedly called for as Pons’s (Tickle Tum, p. 59) sunny-bright, watercolor illustrations portray. The house is indeed untidy and dirty, but Grandma Twilly, a cute, beaver-like animal, would much prefer to spend the day relaxing in her rocker. She finds the inspiration she needs to get started when she discovers that the squeaking of her rocking chair is joined by the squeaking of a mouse. Horrified, she deduces that if she sweeps thoroughly it will surely rid the house of the mouse. She spends all day sweeping every corner and floor only to discover the next morning that this little rodent has been nibbling on her fresh-made bread. The only thing to do is scrub the mouse out of the house. Step by step, from dusting to straightening, the meddlesome mouse adds impetus to the process. Soon, Twilly’s house is spotless, and the mouse becomes welcome. The message here is clear: cleaning may not be fun, but it is necessary. The best part, though, is finding the little mouse on each page, a signal of what Twilly’s next task will be. (Picture book. 3-6)