Mouse's First Christmas

From Publishers Weekly Rich shades of evergreen, cranberry and midnight blue thinly applied to canvas form the inviting backdrop for this tale of a curious young mouse who explores the sensory delights of Christmas Eve, from things that are "sweet and sparkly" (a cookie) to "jingly and glinty" (a jingle bell)Aeven "whiskery and jolly" (guess who?). Thompson's dynamic phrasing is amplified by Erdogan's large-scale compositions and by the type design ("It was a cookie" is set as a circle; the line "It was a jingle bell" curves like an arc). The debut author and artist make much from a simple premise. Ages 2-6. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal PreSchool-"'Twas a night still and starry/and all through the house,/not a creature was stirring /just one little mouse." He begins exploring and discovers some of the tasty, visual, and auditory delights of Christmas, from cookies to jingle bells to presents to Santa himself. Children will enjoy the familiar holiday trappings, the endearing mouse, and the warm feeling that is so well captured in the cozy, richly colored oil paintings. The text effectively combines straight prose and rhyme as the mouse explores the Christmas scene. A lovely, simple book for one-on-one sharing or for toddler storytime.-M.W. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.