The Very Visible Mouse

'Magic' was the agreed description when this book was shared with Year One and Year Two reviewers. Survival dictates that keeping a VERY LOW PROFILE is the first rule in the code of conduct of all mice in the Tribe of Mousity but Calamity mouse cannot help but find herself in the limelight. Disaster to the whole tribe is averted at the last minute when she displays her talent for dancing and singing and becomes 'Celebrity'! The success of this book is due to the number of levels on which it works - the detailed illustrations of the Jones household are matched with the 'Borrowers' world of the Tribe of Mousity and the flaps work cleverly to reveal the Jones' family life as well as the mayhem that is going on unbeknownst to them. In terms of storyline, the book is multi-layered - we have the two worlds living apparently harmoniously together. The quiet, ordered 'adult' life of the Joneses is contrasted with the 'mouse' sub-culture with which many children will identify as they too find that it often 'pays' to keep a low profile and yet how they yearn for the limelight! This is a wonderful book for home use and is worth quite a bit of time strengthening flaps with 'magic tape' so that it can migrate into the classroom too!