Look Out, Mouse!

March 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-This beginning reader is packed with humor and clever visual clues that expand the story beyond its limited word count. The result is a satisfying book as well as one that will afford new readers the opportunity to practice their independent skills. When Farmer Fred falls asleep at dinnertime, his hungry horse looks hopefully to a mouse that is gnawing at his feed bag. A hole in it means food for the horse and a feast for the mouse, too. But a cat appears in the barn, forcing the mouse to make a quick getaway. He is subsequently pursued by a host of other animals, and when the horse, dog, and chickens noisily respond to the chaos, Farmer Fred wakes up and steps outside. In an amusing twist, the mouse steps inside, delighted to be sampling the tasty spread that the rather gluttonous farmer has prepared. VERDICT Delightful illustrations accompany a charming tale that will make a positive addition to most collections.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
When Farmer Fred forgets to feed his horse, bad things happen!Farmer Fred snoozes in front of the television, surrounded by the detritus of a long night of snacking, leaving his horse to fend for itself in the barn. A mouse nibbles at the bag of oats suspended over the trough but attracts unwanted attention. The easy-to-read text warns the mouse: "Look out, mouse! Here comes the cat!" Soon, a snake, an owl, a weasel, and a fox are after the mouse, drawing the attention (and clatter) of the horse, dog, and chicken. This commotion wakes Farmer Fred and allows the mouse to escape. Lively ink-and-watercolor illustrations add humor and energy to this very simple addition to the I Like to Read series. The angry but funny faces of the animals chasing the mouse are just scary enough to hold attention, and the final scene, in which the mouse stands surrounded by Farmer Fred's discarded snack foods, will bring knowing chuckles to careful readers, who will have seen the mouse sneak in. The bold, simple type, punctuated by many exclamation points, is easy to decode and mostly easy to see. Much of the text is reproduced against the night sky, sometimes in white typeface and sometimes in black, potentially posing a challenge for young eyes. However, the comfortingly repetitive and easy-to-predict text will please them. Easy-to-read farm high jinks. (Early reader. 3-5)

July 1, 2015
Sloppy, lazy Farmer Fred forgot to feed the horse; a mouse nibbling on the closed feed bag sets off a chain of events of other farm animals trying to catch Mouse. The cause and effect isn't entirely clear, though, and the book feels chaotic. The illustrations are action-packed and emotive, showing mean animals chasing a scared mouse and a junk-food-eating, couch-lounging farmer.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)