Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Mouse sets up a spot for waiting on the riverbank. Eventually, Rabbit happens along and asks Mouse what she is waiting for. She confides that she's waiting for her Special Friends. As Frog and then Turtle join them, the time passes by, full of the lazy anticipation of a summer day. The animals sit, eat, rest, and play while maintaining their vigil along the riverbank. Finally, the day is over and Mouse packs up to go. It turns out that the Special Friends have been there all along. This picture book is full of the feeling of summer and friendship. The words set the stage, but the illustrations are still the focus here. The paintings are lush and evocative. Readers can almost hear the bees buzzing and feel the cool grass underneath their feet. The river burbles along in the background. Everything works together to give a strong sensory image to the lazy day. As more of Mouse's friends gather on the bank, readers will begin to wonder who the Very Special Friends are. But as Mouse knowingly tells them, "Who could be more special than you?" Don't just keep this one for summer reading-enjoy Mouse and her friends all year long.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2012. 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
Mouse waits alongside the riverbank for her "Special Friends." Rabbit, Frog, and Turtle join Mouse in her carefree wait, spending the day having fun together only to find that they are, indeed, Mouse's "Special Friends." Chapman's cheery art adequately reflects the sweet, sentimental story. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The grass is always greener when you have companions to share your time. Mouse eagerly awaits the arrival of her "Special Friends" at the river's edge. Rabbit appears and offers to wait with her, and the two play happily. Other neighbors wander by and invite themselves to the impromptu gathering with pleasantly polite dialogue. "Just the weather for waiting," smiles Frog. "May I join you?" As the day draws to a close, Mouse informs her patient friends that they, her Special Friends, have been with her all along. The appealing outdoor setting is depicted in shades of lush, robust green; the text features a lilting rhythm to illustrate the quiet hustle and bustle of the natural world. "Butterflies fluttered on the breeze. / Bees buzzed in the daisies. / Ants scuttled busily in the grass." The emphasis is on simple pleasures; Rabbit twirls Mouse with abandon, and the buddies sprawl in the field. Characters' peaceful smiles and animated gestures capture their gentle interactions. Mouse tiptoes nose-to-nose with Frog, tugs Rabbit's ear, and whispers to Turtle while balanced precariously on a tree branch. The diminutive rodent's engaging personality shines, though readers will wonder why Mouse was so darn cagey about the identity of the Special Friends all day long. This soothing ode to the power of friendship reveals that a lazy day is always better spent with the ones you love. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
