Who knows the best way to be mad? Bear stomps. Hare hops. Bobcat screams. Mouse? He just can't get it right.
But when he finds the way that works for him—still and quiet—he discovers that his own way might be the best of all.
Linda Urban's story about self-expression and managing anger is both sweet and sly, and Henry Cole's cast of animal friends is simply irresistible.
May 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-When readers meet Mouse, he is furious. First he is "hopping mad," but expert Hare informs him that he is not hopping properly and shows him the correct moves. On the animated spreads that follow, Bear, Bobcat, and Hedgehog demonstrate how to be "stomping," "screaming," and "rolling-around-on-the ground" mad. However, each time Mouse tries to imitate them, he finds himself sprawled in a mud puddle. It is not until he is "standing-still mad" and none of the others can best his motionless stance that he begins to feel better. Through playful language and expressive watercolors with colored pencil and ink, this story about anger management proves to be both entertaining and therapeutic. Just like the heroine in Molly Bang's "When Sophie Gets AngryReally, Really Angry"] (Scholastic, 1999), Mouse finds his own way through his ire and, in the process, may help a few youngsters get a handle on their own."Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY"
Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2009
Mouse is mad (for some reason). The other animals are better at hopping, stomping, screaming, and rolling around in anger--making Mouse even madder. In the end, Mouse learns that being himself is the best antidote to a bad mood. Mouse's exaggeratedly furious faces amidst nature's calm are the highlight of this story about individuality and self-expression.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)