Small Mouse Big City

In his debut picture book, illustrator Simon Prescott offers a witty contemporary take on Aesop’s tale of the town mouse and the country mouse. Country mouse leaves his peaceful rural home and takes the train to the city which takes his breath away – the landscape format book must be turned sideways to view the double page spread of the towering buildings that dwarf the mouse as he gazes upwards in astonishment. Fortunately he is found by city mouse before he gets into difficulties in this alien place. City mouse introduces his friend to art galleries, architecture and cheese shops but although it is all ‘magnificent’ country mouse starts to feel homesick. After all, there is no place like home.

With his soft pencil line and deftly applied watercolour washes, Prescott uses light and perspective to convey inner tension and drama. The sense of movement when we see country mouse at the window of the train as it whizzes past is consummately done and the silhouettes of buildings against the evening light convey the scale of the city. An accomplished and gentle picture book that will appeal to the very young.