Review by Booklist Review
In this warm, friendship story, a very kind mouse embarks on a generous journey to deliver a birthday cake to his dear friend, Little Bird. Along the way, Mouse runs into Chicken, Squirrel, Bear, and Cow, all of whom offer to trade various items for a delicious piece of cake. Mouse's good nature, excellent manners, and naïveté are all on display as he accumulates a basketful of seemingly useless items (a fly swatter, a cork, etc.) and gives away, piece by piece, a very special cake. Surely Little Bird would not mind. Luckily, Little Bird uses her ingenuity and, together with Mouse's compassion, the friends create the perfect ingredients that they need to save the day and have cake for all. Captured in warm and bright illustrations that anthropomorphize animal friends, this story about doing the right thing and the power of friendship is a strong choice for story hours and classroom read-alouds.--Miller, Annie Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Pham tries out a new look for this birthday-themed story-her animal characters would fit right in with J.P. Miller's The Little Red Hen and other Little Golden Book favorites. While the aesthetic may be proudly retro and the plot trajectory familiar, clever and funny twists subvert expectations every step of the way. The story follows Mouse to Little Bird's home as he attempts to deliver a homemade birthday cake. Along the way, Mouse meets four animals who want to trade items with him for a slice of cake. Chicken, surrounded by eggs, naturally offers Mouse... a cork. Cow has bottles of milk to spare, but wants to trade... a flyswatter. Pham's story comes into its own as Mouse and Little Bird return to Mouse's house and regift each weird item in ingenious ways. Bear needs something to swat away the bees attracted to his honey pots, so Little Bird naturally offers him... the cork, just the thing to trap the bees inside their hive (sorry bees). The value of kindness, quick thinking, and a good attitude shine through. Ages 4-8. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A delightful story about friendship and cooperation. Who would think a very kind mouse would have such a difficult journey delivering a cake to his bird friend for his birthday? Along the way, he meets a squirrel, a chicken, a cow, and a bear, and all want to trade something for pieces of this special treat. The mouse ends up with a cork, a wire, a net, and a flyswatter-but no cake. Little Bird, however, knows that the items will be useful to someone, and more trades are made, leaving all of the animals satisfied and with enough ingredients to make another cake. This book has broad appeal and is great for preschool storytime and for beginning readers. The whimsical cartoon illustrations in bright colors feature appealing animals set against plenty of white space, making them stand out at a distance.-Susan Mcclellan, Coraopolis Memorial Library, PA (c) Copyright 2014. 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
Kind Mouse uses up his baking supplies making a birthday cake for Little Bird, but Mouse trades all the slices with friends for various random items (e.g., cork, flyswatter). Clever Little Bird is able to barter for cake ingredients in a creative way and everyone can celebrate. Pham's entertaining story about generosity is buoyed by her friendly illustrations. (c) Copyright 2014. 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.
