Toopy's Story.

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

These vibrant books with their cartoon characters will be familiar to many of their targeted audience. The Toopy television series is well-known and well-loved by Canadian kids, and this series of books has adapted actual TV episodes and reproduced the brilliantly hued illustrations on high-gloss paper.

Toopy is an imaginative but naive mouse whose constant companion, the tiny cat Binoo, shares his adventures. This role reversal of a larger mouse and his small sidekick cat is part of the charm for young children as relative size and world order is turned upside-down. Having the underdog in the cat/mouse relationship as top dog is empowering for small children.

Toopy’s Story has a sleepy, droopy Toopy reading a bedtime story to Binoo. But the final page is missing, and Toopy’s repeated attempts to invent an abbreviated ending to facilitate bedtime are unsuccessful. When he tiredly runs out of ideas, Binoo comes up with one that satisfies them both.

Sneezing Toopy describes the various ways that little Binoo makes his sick friend more comfortable, including retrieving a restful cloud from a mountaintop and even fetching the sun to ward away the chills. Of course, when Toopy is finally feeling better Binoo begins to sneeze. Toopy is delighted to return the favour and play caregiver.

Toopy Goes Bananas follows Toopy trying to get a banana for Binoo after he inadvertently ate the one Binoo wanted. He travels to the jungle, outer space, and underwater to procure the tasty snack, but each time some careless act renders the quest unfruitful. Finally, Binoo solves the problem himself.

It’s heartening to see the characters quietly reading and snacking on fruit, as well as to observe their polite, kind, and generous interactions with each other. Although understated, these underlying concepts of friendship and respect are easily absorbed with the imaginative aspects and the liberal does of humour. All three books are recommended.