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Reviewed by:
  • Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer, Assistant Editor
Snyder, Laurel Charlie & Mouse; illus. by Emily Hughes. Chronicle, 2017 [48p]
ISBN 978-1-4521-3153-5 $14.99
Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 1-2

In the first half of this four-chapter book, brothers Charlie and Mouse are up early for their neighborhood party, and after they drag their bleary-eyed parents out of bed, the quartet heads out for some local fun. Along the way, they’re joined by a few friends until a parade of kiddos marches along the sidewalk to the apparent site of the party: an empty playground perfect for the kids to claim for the day for “the best party ever!” The third chapter sees Charlie and Mouse attempting to earn some money by selling rocks, and the concluding part of the book has the two brothers insisting on a banana bedtime treat. The money-making scheme offers the most humor, as the boys’ plan to get rid of rocks ends up with them only having more. Otherwise, there’s little action or comedy, and the sweetness of the sibling relationship doesn’t make up for the lackluster plots. Plenty of repetition, short sentences, and wide spacing provide effective scaffolding for beginning readers, though the repeating dialogue is somewhat stiff. A subdued palette and soft lines underscore the stories’ gentle tones; wide eyes and tousled hair gives the kid figures personality. This will offer respite to kids more inclined to find quiet adventure in their everyday routines.

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