Babymouse

Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 4-6. In this energetic comic by a brother-sister team (Jennifer's Our Only May Amelia was a Newbery Honor Book), Babymouse, a wise-cracking rodent stand-in for your average, adventure-seeking nine-year-old, strives to capture popular Felicia's goodwill, finally achieving her end at the expense of Wilson Weasel, truest of friends. But, wouldn't you know it, Felicia's world has little to offer a smart, fun-loving mouse, after all. The Holms spruce up some well-trod ground with breathless pacing and clever flights of Babymouse's imagination, and their manic, pink-toned illustrations of Babymouse and her cohorts vigorously reflect the internal life of any million-ideas-a-minute middle-school student. --Jesse Karp Copyright 2005 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Jennifer Holm (Our Only May Amelia) and her brother Matthew Holm, a graphic designer, make an incursion on Captain Underpants territory with these comic books about a girl mouse. Both tales share eye-grabbing black-and-pink graphics, and a perceptible Spiegelman influence simmers in the energetic ink illustrations of the dot-eyed heroine. Queen of the World! introduces Babymouse and her nemesis, a popular cat named Felicia Furrypaws. Babymouse desperately wants an invitation to Felicia's slumber party (which she feels could confer "queen" status), although her best friend Wilson the Weasel expects her to watch monster movies with him that night. Fantasy sequences testify to Babymouse's reading habit and active imagination: in one reverie, she's Babymouserella, transformed into a princess by "fairy godweasel" Wilson, but undone by Felicia on the way to the ball ("In `Cinderella,' the mouse pulls the carriage. Duh!"). A sequel, Our Hero, centers on a gym class where unathletic Babymouse faces dodgeball whiz Felicia. Before the competition, Babymouse daydreams of boot camp, stomps on her antagonist as "Babymousezilla" and indulges in a Peter Pan sequence where a combined Felicia-Hook makes her walk the plank into the jaws of a crocodile (who doubles as the gym teacher). The Holms make humorous allusions to novels and movies, and interject sympathetic remarks from an offstage narrator. This personable, self-conscious mouse, with her penchant for pink hearts, resembles Kevin Henkes's Lilly, with some extra years of grade-school experience. Ages 7-10. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-Give Babymouse, with her black-and-white-and-pink peppered palette, to anyone who thinks that comics are enjoyed primarily by boys. A plucky, resilient mouse (read middle-grade girl), Babymouse negotiates issues of friendship, popularity, and sense of self. The format and indeterminate age of our heroine makes for broad appeal with a wide range of readers. (c) Copyright 2011. 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.

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Review by Horn Book Review

(Primary) The heroine of these two graphic novels for new readers is a sassy, smart mouse. Living in a Walter Mitty-like dream world, Babymouse faces the challenges of a sometimes-cruel world that await her each morning when she reluctantly emerges from under her heart-covered duvet. Each challenge brings its own accompanying daydream, rich in pink hues and dramatic overtones. When Babymouse oversleeps and misses the school bus, she has to walk to school; trudging along, she imagines herself braving the Oregon Trail, wishing to ride in the back of the wagon with the ""cool pioneer kids."" Her locker eats her homework; her teacher berates her; but the worst is to come when our heroine discovers the terrors of dodgeball (in Our Hero) and the pitfalls of trying to run with the popular crowd (in Queen of the World!). New readers will appreciate the familiar situations, humorous asides, and easy-to-digest plots. The graphic format is easy to follow, especially since Babymouse's rich inner life is painted pink while the real world is depicted in a less flashy black-and-white. Babymouse is here to stay, and fans of Fashion Kitty and Captain Underpants will now add her to their collection of well-thumbed volumes to read over and over again. [Review includes these titles: Babymouse: Our Hero! and Babymouse: Queen of the World] (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.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

In a graphic novelette illustrated in minimal, two-color style, the Holms introduce a small, klutzy mouse with a very big imagination. Babymouse compensates for the lack of glamour, excitement and adventure in her everyday life by mentally casting herself as Queen, as a space explorer, as star of "Babymouse vs. the Squid," and more at the drop of a hat--all while fretting that she hasn't been invited to nemesis Felicia Furrypaws' slumber party. But, finally trading her book report for an invitation, she discovers that the party's a mean and gossipy bore--so it's off to steady friend Wilson the Weasel's for cupcakes and a horror movie. Young readers will happily fall in line to follow Babymouse through both ordinary pratfalls ("Typical!" is her watchword) and extraordinary flights of fancy--both of which continue in Babymouse, Our Hero ($5.95, ISBN 0-375-83230-0; PLB $12.99, ISBN 0-375-93230-5). (Graphic fiction. 7-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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