The Mouse that Roared, and other Animal Fables

Interesting first collection from a new writer. Twenty fables, all of which read well aloud and some of which got two separate groups of seven and eleven-year-olds talking. The collection is variable in quality --- as most collections are. Some of the morals were forced (as in 'Goat and Leopard') whereas they should emerge from the tales. I was conscious in some of adult sophistication wrapped up in anthropomorphism and I don't know what those who hunt for such things would make of the message of Jenny Wren ('don't nag your husband and be too vain or he'll run to another nest.'). But I liked the 'Blue Snails' (diversity and pluralism is strength) and 'The Kite a lot. Read one or two aloud and get the children talking, but for richer models see Ted Hughes 'How the Whale Became' or Aesop or (paperback publishers please note) Arnold Lobel's new 'Fable's. Reading the latter at the same time as Ray Jones' brought home to me how important it is to let the non-conformists and the adventurers have their day in fables: even 'The Mouse that Roared' gets sadly deflated!