If You Take a Mouse to School (If You Give...)

In a rollicking romp, Numeroff and Bond send the energetic, exuberant star of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (and his boy sidekick) into the classroom. After pulling on his overalls, the diminutive character makes his first request ("He'll ask you for your lunchbox") and then demands a snack, notebook and pencils before climbing into the boy's backpack. Once at school, the mercurial mouse happily bounds from one activity to the next: he spells "a word or two" on the blackboard (Bond shows these as an impressive list headed by "onomatopoeia"), conducts a science experiment (purple matter erupts from his beaker), builds "a little mouse house" out of blocks (the edifice looks quite elaborate) and fashions furniture for it with clay. Realizing he needs something on his new bookshelf, the ambitious critter collects paper and pencils and creates his own book, which he then wants to take home, in "your" lunch box. As animated as the whiskered student it depicts, Bond's art lives up to expectation, featuring her customary crisp colors and kid-pleasing details. Its school setting, tried-and-true tone and popular protagonist mark this title as a winner. Ages 3-7. (July) FYI: Numeroff will donate a portion of her royalties to First Book, a national nonprofit organization that promotes children's literacy. Copyright 2002 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1-That adorable rodent, dressed in his tiny blue overalls, returns with all the ebullience and adventurous spirit he displayed in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985) and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (2000, both HarperCollins). This time he accompanies his human friend to school, and his enthusiasm for learning fascinates the class. Mouse joyfully discovers new activities, which include performing a science experiment, building a "mouse house" with blocks, writing a book, and more. Bond's illustrations are an essential part of the story, with visual clues that link it to the original-chocolate-chip cookies appear on pajamas, in a lunch box, and as a refrigerator magnet. White backgrounds allow the crisp, bright watercolors to stand out and invite perusal. With his minuscule backpack and expansive joie de vivre, the little charmer exudes excitement about everything he undertakes, and the day turns into a lively experience for mouse and boy.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.