The Mole Sisters and the Piece of Moss

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

It is not often that books entice you to laugh out loud, but The Mole
Sisters books are two that almost certainly will. Charming, whimsical,
and as refreshing as cool water on a hot day, the irrepressible mole
sisters face difficulties with unfailing good humor and turn setbacks
into triumphs.

When the sisters encounter a piece of moss that fears it may be dull,
they assure it, “You’re lovely.” As a pillow for moles, it
certainly is. Moles and moss cavort together till the sun sets and the
stars come out, whereupon the mole sisters carry the moss down to their
burrow for “sweet dreams.”

In The Mole Sisters and the Rainy Day, the sisters refuse to be
downhearted even when rain drips into their snug burrow: “Yikes!”
Using shovels, they turn the steady drip into a tiny pond, a veritable
oasis where they “splish” till the sun comes out. It was a lovely
day after all.

Roslyn Schwartz is the author of three previous books. She is also a
film animator, an art that is reflected in many small touches in the
tiny three- by four-inch paintings, which manage to combine the stuff of
everyday life with the absurd. Her color illustrations in The Mole
Sisters reflect a sublime innocence and a sense of deep joy. These two
small books are highly recommended for small children and depressed
adults.