Saturday, May 9, 2015

Hermelin, the mouse detective as told to Mini Grey

A mouse named Hermelin can read and write. He uses these special powers to solve mysteries such as missing fish, glasses, and pearls on his dense city street. He even saves a baby! But when the people throw a party at the corner sausage shop to thank him, they are shocked that a vermin mouse shows up. This causes Hermelin to realize that he is a pest, which hurts his feelings. Fortunately, a little girl who lives on the block, a bit of a detective herself, figure out that Hermelin has been solving the neighhorhood crimes and invites him to be her friend and partner detective.

I love this book's depiction of city living and close neighborhoods. The illustrations are also fantastic, and the narrative fun.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

The Man in the Moon by William Joyce

We've attempted this book a couple times now. At first, my daughter said it was too scary. The part where the adoring parents die is upsetting. But the artwork is beautiful, and the story romantic. The Man in the Moon is the guardian of childhood, and the actual moon is the children's nightlight to ward off nightmares.