Big Week for Little Mouse

Linda Ludke is a librarian at the London Public Library.

One week before her birthday, Little Mouse is busy making party
preparations. She cleans her teapot house, washes clothes, gathers
flowers, shops for food, makes party hats, decorates a cake, and hangs
up balloons. Her efforts culminate in a fun celebration with friends and
family.

Little Mouse’s activities are related in rhyming verse: “On Monday
Mouse does many chores. / Washing windows. Mopping floors. / Buckets
empty. Buckets full. / Shine and polish. Push and pull.” The
opposite-word pairs are highlighted in bold type, along with the days of
the week, reinforcing primary concepts.

Kim Fernandes’s three-dimensional modelling-clay illustrations are a
visual treat. Rich with colour and texture, they seem almost tactile.
Details such as strawberry jam on the kitchen counter, peacock feathers
sticking out of a hat, and the “Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Cat” game are
sure to delight young readers. Highly recommended.