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Summary
Summary
Mouse feels lower than low. His forest friends, including Badger, Hedgehog, Rabbit, and Mole all knock themselves out trying to cheer up the little guy, to no avail. In the end, all Mouse really needs is a hug! Jed Henry's wonderful illustrations, in watercolor pastels and colored pencils, beautifully complement the spare text. Readers will love seeing all the exuberant animal antics in trees, ponds, and even underground tunnels as they try to distract their gloomy friend. A charming antidote for the blues.
Author Notes
Jed Henry , illustrator of Mike Huckabee's best-selling Can't Wait till Christmas, loves animals so much that he always thought Shark Week was more fun than Christmas. He lives by the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Provo, Utah. Visit him at www.jedhenry.com or his blog at jedartblogspot.com .
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Henry introduces a sad Mouse and his concerned friends. Determined to make him smile, the other woodland animals are sure that their special skills are just what the little creature needs to be happy. A black bird takes Mouse on a flight. A frog is sure that "dizzy heights are for the birds./I can wash those tears away./Splash and paddle, wash and wade-Cheer up, Mouse!" as he takes him for a swim in the pond. The pattern continues as each creature, including a rabbit and a squirrel, tries to improve Mouse's mood, to no avail. The animals have concerned or smiling expressions yet they are realistic and recognizable in the illustrations that were created digitally and with colored pencils, watercolors, and pastels. The simple sentences relate how each animal plays with Mouse, and readers will repeat the refrain. The satisfying resolution comes in several wordless spreads as the chipmunk realizes what Mouse needed all along-a hug. A solid story about friendship that is sure to cheer readers.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
It can be a little dangerous to be depressed in Mouse's neck of the woods. When his merrymaking animal friends realize that he's sad, they assume that something akin to extreme sports is in order. They throw him in the deep end ("Splash and paddle, wash and wade-Cheer up, Mouse!"), toss him in the air ("Leap and lope, hop and jump-Cheer up, Mouse!"), and, believing "Hearty grub is what he needs," offer to stuff him full of, well, grubs. But Chipmunk, who's been on the sidelines, realizes what Mouse really needs: a simple but heartfelt hug. Henry (I Speak Dinosaur!) creates a lush but smartly distilled woodland setting and expertly choreographs a large cast, which includes gloriously hued bluebirds, a handsomely striped frog with big yellow eyes, and a soft furry mole. The emotional pitch is just right: Mouse never looks mad or scared at his friends' antics, which are clearly meant with the best of intentions. When that hug comes-an action that Henry beautifully unfolds over three spreads-it's a great moment in the history of empathy. Ages 4-8. Agent: Shannon Associates. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
All of the forest animals have gathered together for a party, but Mouse's posture -- head down, hands drooping -- shows that he is not having a good time. The other critters watch with concern as he slinks away, and then ask, "How are we going to make Mouse smile?" Blackbird tries first, taking Mouse up for some airborne fun: "Flap and flutter, dip and dive -- Cheer up, Mouse!" Frog disagrees that this is the right approach and pulls Mouse into the water for a "splash and paddle." Rabbit, Starnosed Mole, and others each try his or her own technique, but Mouse stays gloomy until perky Chipmunk offers a simple hug. The text is a little choppy, but the "Cheer up, Mouse!" refrain and the winsome illustrations carry the day. Colored-pencils, watercolors, pastels, and digital techniques combine to show the different textures of the animals, such as Frog's shiny skin and Hedgehog's prickles, and the warm colors against white backgrounds set each animal off in sharp relief so that small children will have no trouble following them from page to page. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Who doesn't love a parade? In this book, the parade starts on the copyright page. A badger juggles ripe plums. Birds toss flower petals into the crowd. A squirrel plays a fiddle made out of a walnut shell. Sitting in the middle is the saddest mouse in the world, staring at his feet. He won't cheer up even when his friends bounce him through the air on a blanket. He's not a parade sort of mouse. He spends several pages of the book just looking wordlessly down at the ground. (The story is a better study of depression than some textbooks.) The narrative sometimes shifts suddenly from pages filled with dialogue to pages with no words at all. The contrast is sometimes shocking, but the book teaches readers as they turn the pages. Each animal has an elaborate cure for sadness, and their expressions alone tell the story every time they try a new scheme. The message of the book is a little slight: Sometimes a mouse just needs a hug. But every squirrel, mole and badger on every page feels genuinely alive. And it's true: Sometimes a mouse does just need a hug. Simple and satisfying. (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Mouse seems to be having a bad day he won't smile. So the other woodland creatures conspire and try their best to cheer him up. Crow thinks the answer is flying, while Frog thinks it is swimming. Rabbit tries jumping and the bluebirds, singing. They even try throwing a party, but nothing works until Chipmunk looks closely at Mouse and then gives him a hug. Henry uses watercolors, pastels, and colored pencils to lavishly illustrate this charming, simple tale of friendship and individuality. Each animal has activities he or she enjoys splash and paddle, dig and shovel, dip and dive, chomp and chew but until the animals pay attention to Mouse and learn what makes him feel good, they cannot help him. Youngsters will enjoy the simple phrases and delightful illustrations by the creator of I Speak Dinosaur (2012). Perfect for fans of Dori Chaconas' One Little Mouse (2002).--Moore, Melissa Copyright 2010 Booklist