Review by Booklist Review
"Ten hungry mice find a food-gathering expedition unexpectedly eventful in this charmingly illustrated counting-based book. Food abounds, cherries to acorns, but getting it and themselves home isn't easy as the mice encounter three cherry-loving cows, a fish leaping from the stream they're crossing, and a fox and owl from whom they must escape. Ultimately and happily, the mice return safely to their cozy tree-stump home, with food for all. Straightforward, descriptive sentences head each spread; a short, usually counting-related question appears within the illustration (e.g., Can you count to ten? or How many pieces of food did the mice drop? ). The delightful, collage-like, full-page art layers rich hues and textures as it depicts the soft gray mice, often in lively close-ups (the intensely expressive fox and owl may be somewhat scary for younger ones). Children will find many counting and seek-and-find opportunities and cheer on the mice in their often suspenseful, snack-driven sojourn."--"Rosenfeld, Shelle" Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Garland (the Miss Smith series) invites readers to accompany 10 hungry rodents on a counting, adding and subtracting adventure that?s packed with peril. On every spread, a concise sentence advances the narrative ("as the mice crossed the meadow, three greedy crows swooped down and stole four of their cherries"), while smaller, more playful type poses a more direct math question ("How many cherries do the mice have now?"). The mice brave some vividly portrayed predators (a crow, a fish, a fox and owl) as well as a potential drowning, but they finally make it home safe and sound for a good nosh. Garland opts not to develop individual personalities for his mice, but they have a compelling presence nonetheless, thanks to their black, piercing eyes and cute, furry bodies (which appear to have been created digitally from photographs of terrycloth). His environments are spectacular: lush colors and dramatic contrasts in scale underscore the high stakes nature of the quest and the puny protagonists? vulnerability. Some children might find the mice?s nemeses a bit too menacing (the owl in particular has alarming talons and furious yellow eyes), but a simple turn of the page will quickly assure them that everything turns out well. Ages 4-up. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-This counting book depicts 10 mice who are out collecting food. They encounter obstacles on the way that cause them to drop some of it. As the story progresses, readers are asked to identify the numbers of cherries, acorns, ears of corn, etc., after each incident. However, the questions are occasionally confusing. For example, "How many pieces of food fell into the stream?" could be interpreted differently due to the placement of items. The questions are in small font and obscurely placed on each spread. The appealing mixed-media collages of scanned fabrics provide interesting patterns and textures, but are a bit busy for a counting book.-Jessica Lamarre, Medford Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A trip to the woods leads to unexpected adventures for ten hungry mice. The main text tells how they gather, then lose, their food, while supplemental text asks readers to keep track (""How many cherries do the mice have now?""). The multiple textures of the brightly colored double-page spreads are appealing but make it difficult to count objects. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Garland cleverly turns a foraging expedition by ten hungry mice into a math and counting lesson for young readers. Under the cherry tree, each rodent picks up a cherry, but when they cross the meadow, some crows steal four of them. "How many cherries do the mice have now?" The ten continue making the rounds of their stomping grounds, finding new food and encountering new hazards and predators. Each spread challenges readers to count, do mental math or search the illustration for a specific item. Garland's illustrations are an amazing array of textures and colors. The mice seem made of gray and pink terrycloth, the leaves of green plaid fabric and the tree trunks of brown carpet. All these visual stimuli will lead youngsters to avidly search the pictures for the mice and their items of food. A boon for educators teaching word problems, this is sure to be a hit with every child who likes to seek and find. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
