School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A tall man lives in a tall house and spends his days doing tall things that need doing, like picking apples, untangling swings, and rescuing things from trees. In the tall man's house lives a small mouse who spends her nights doing small things that need doing, such as finding small things like pegs, corks, and long-lost forks. One day the tall man tries to fix the town's great clock, but fails despite all his efforts. The tall man and small mouse meet the very next day. The tall man soon realizes that the quick and clever small mouse is just who he needs to help him fix the clock, and the small mouse is only too happy to oblige. Their teamwork pays off. Bergman's rhyming text is a joy to read and is perfectly matched by Sif's pencil and digital illustrations. A mix of spreads, vignettes, and dynamic text placement brings the story to life along with Sif's choice of colors and excellent use of details. VERDICT A sweet story of how doing one's own thing can be even better with a friend-even if you're "of a different kind." Perfect for reading aloud.-Catherine -Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When the titular tall man and small mouse finally discover they've been sharing a house, they quickly become collaborators.The book begins with the pleasant sound of a nursery rhyme: "On a tall hill / in a tall house / lived a tall man / and a small mouse." Here and throughout, the text is large, easily seen against pale backgrounds. Whimsical, lightly lined drawings with watercolor washes keep the mood light and comforting. The tall manwho is white and also comically thindoes "tall things / that needed doing," such as picking apples and rescuing cats and kites from trees. The small mouse, who creeps around the house while the man sleeps, wears a dress and a hooded cape from which large, white ears protrude. She excels at getting into tiny spaces and moving small items, restoring lost bits and pieces to the man. The minor crisis of the book occurs when, after a long day of effort, the tall man cannot figure out how to fix the town's tower clock. (There is no evidence of anyone else worrying whether the clock works, but it's obviously important to the tall man.) A funny sequence of vignettes as he gets dressed the next morning concludes with him almost stepping on the mouse, who had been sleeping in his tall, old-fashioned shoe. Gentle rhymes and rhythm combine with equally gentle art as the two characters become a working team and then friends.Sweet fun for storytime and bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* On a tall hill / in a tall house / lived a tall man / and a small mouse. They have never met. The mouse excels at finding lost pins, coins, and rings, while the tall man finds work suitable for a man of his stature: picking apples, fixing swing sets, and rescuing kites from trees. But one job baffles him: he can't fix the town clock because he can't see inside it. One morning, he meets the small mouse. Fascinated by the lost objects she has found, the tall man takes his clever housemate to the town clock. She slips inside, looks about, and fixes the problem. As the story ends, the two have become good friends. Bergman, who writes poetry as well as picture books, creates a rhythmic, rhyming text that reads aloud beautifully, with satisfying lines such as In the town's great square / was the town's big clock, / which would not tick / and would not tock. Capturing the sense, the polish, and the wit of the verse, Sif's digitally colored pencil drawings bring their own elegance and charm to the narrative while adding amusing details for curious viewers to discover. A beguiling picture book for imaginative children.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist
