What do you think?
Rate this book
Charlie & Mouse #1
Charlie & Mouse
Charlie and Mouse, two young brothers, enjoy a day out together, attending an imaginary party and collecting rocks.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Laurel Snyder
35 books796 followersLaurel Snyder is the author of six children's novels, "Orphan Island," "Seven Stories Up," "Bigger than a Bread Box," "Penny Dreadful," "Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess" and "Any Which Wall" (Random House) as well as many picture books, including "Charlie & Mouse," "The Forever Garden," "Swan, the life and dance of Anna Pavlova," and "Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher."
A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a former Michener Fellow, she also writes books for grownups, and is the author of a book of poems, "The Myth of the Simple Machines" (No Tell Books) and a chapbook, "Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse (Burnside Review Press) and the editor of an anthology, "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes" (Soft Skull Press).
Though Baltimore will always be her home, she now lives happily in Atlanta.
A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a former Michener Fellow, she also writes books for grownups, and is the author of a book of poems, "The Myth of the Simple Machines" (No Tell Books) and a chapbook, "Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse (Burnside Review Press) and the editor of an anthology, "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes" (Soft Skull Press).
Though Baltimore will always be her home, she now lives happily in Atlanta.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
Want to read
May 21, 2016Whenever I post about my kids to Facebook or Twitter, friends write to me and say, "You should make a book about your kids!"
So now, at last, THIS is that book!
As a result, I am completely unable to be objective about Charlie and Mouse. It's the story of my two sweet boys, and their small adventures in our regular neighborhood.
I love them. I love this book. And looking at the amazing art Emily Hughes made out of our lives, I can't help loving the entire universe.
Gratitude.
So now, at last, THIS is that book!
As a result, I am completely unable to be objective about Charlie and Mouse. It's the story of my two sweet boys, and their small adventures in our regular neighborhood.
I love them. I love this book. And looking at the amazing art Emily Hughes made out of our lives, I can't help loving the entire universe.
Gratitude.
March 13, 2017
Only the jaded should write reviews of children’s books. Oh, it makes sense! Think about it. Children’s books are where the saccharine and overblown and overbearing go to die. Things that wouldn’t cut it in the greeting card world somehow manage to live, thrive, and survive as treacly picture books. Is it any wonder that I say hurrah for the candid, cynical, tell-it-like-it-is reviewers of the world? If I am a parent and there is any danger AT ALL that my child is going to ask me to read and reread and reread again a piece of tripe that calls itself a children’s book, I at least want some forewarning. I have great love for the sardonic stripe of reviewer. Anyone who has honed their teeth on the literary darlings of sweetness & light. So I sometimes wonder if having my own kids has made me more inclined towards books with a glint of true emotion amidst the adorableness. With that in mind, I guess I could be forgiven for initially thinking that Charlie & Mouse wouldn’t work for me. Heck the eyeballs of these kids take up half their heads as it is. Yet when I read this story what I found was a quietly subversive, infinitely charming, eerily rereadable early chapter book not just worth reading but worth owning. It may be a standalone book for now, but if Charlie and Mouse fever grips this mighty nation of ours you’re gonna want to be first in line to own a copy yourself.
In four short stories we get to see a day in the life of brothers Charlie and Mouse. Chapter One: Lumps, consists of Charlie conducting a very serious conversation with the friendly lump that shares his bed. Chapter Two: The Party has our heroes inviting every kid on their block to “the neighborhood party” thereby guaranteeing its success (and existence). Chapter Three: Rocks is an examination of how a kid can make money when all they have is a red wagon and the rocks in their yard. Finally, Chapter Four: Bedtime Banana inspires a new chapter in Charlie and Mouse’s bedtime routine, and closes out their busy day.
I think I read somewhere (WARNING: Unsourced hearsay and conjecture approaching – proceed at your own risk) that much of this book came into existence as author Laurel Snyder took note of the things her own boys said and did and proceeded to write down. As any children’s librarian who has been on the job more than six months will tell you, within our profession there is an understanding that you will be approached by a very sweet children’s book author at some point during your career (probably multiple times) and that they will hand you their book saying that it was inspired by the cute things their own children or grandchildren have said. Such origins do not guarantee quality . . . except in the case of Charlie & Mouse. As I may have mentioned or alluded to before, my tolerance for the cutesy is distinctly low. So it was with great pleasure that I discovered that while the characters of Charlie and Mouse are undeniably cute, they are not cloying. They are not vying for your love. They are living their lives, doing what they want to do, and if what they do happens to be cute, so be it, but that is not their prerogative.
In my travels I’ve heard Charlie & Mouse compared to Arnold Lobel’s Frog & Toad books. To be honest, any book featuring two characters that don’t feel like ripping one another’s eyeballs out at some point inevitably gets compared to Frog & Toad. Charlie & Mouse however goes beyond the simple template of two friendly male characters performing small adventures. The most obvious example is found in both the first and last stories. Charlie awakens in the first to find a lump next to him in bed. He proceeds to talk with it and the sleepy lump is distinctly uninterested in getting up. This is pretty similar to the Frog & Toad story “Spring” where grumpy Toad appears for much of the tale as a sleepy lump in a bed. If Mouse had gone so far as to say “Blah” it would have clinched the comparison. Still, I would say that Charlie & Mouse does deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Lobel if only because in this book Snyder has mastered a similar tone. Because I have a five-year-old and a two-year-old I’m very keen on books with gentle tones that I can read to both kids simultaneously. Charlie & Mouse taps into a kind of free-range childhood that is very enticing to kids today, and it does that by feeling oddly classic.
Keeping her vocabulary simple, author Laurel Snyder builds the world of Charlie & Mouse with restrained skill. You instantly understand the relationship between the brothers from the start. First off, they share an enormous bed (a fantasy of younger siblings everywhere, I’ll attest) so they must get along pretty well. And while Mouse is initially reluctant to get up, once Charlie gets him on board he happily joins in on waking the parental units at, the clock indicates, 5:45 in the morning. Then there's the writing itself. Snyder’s phrasings are beautifully worked throughout the text. When their mom asks if having a banana at bedtime is “a thing” the 21st century parent will understand instantly what that means (and so, for that matter, will the kids). Plus there are jokes, both visual and evident in the text. I give a lot of points for jokes these days.
An illustrated book for children is a partnership in the purest sense of the word. Though there are plenty of books that lean heavily on the strength of their illustrators (see: All celebrity picture books . . . ever) if the text is piss poor then you’re not going to find that the book has much in the way of staying power (some overly sentimental picture books being, perhaps, the most notable exception to this rule). Likewise if the text is brilliant and the pictures ho-hum then the book might win critical acclaim but not sell well. For this reason, authors have been known to sacrifice small woodland creatures to the pitiless gods of illustration selection (i.e. editors) when it comes to their accepted manuscripts. Hit the jackpot and you’re good to go for life. Miss your chance and it’s sayonara, sweetheart. How many twitchy nosed bunnies Laurel Snyder slaughtered beneath the blood red moon of autumntide, we may never know, but one thing is clear. Emily Hughes is, without a doubt, the most perfect artist to be paired with this particular text.
I’m a little ashamed to say that I didn’t recognize Emily’s art or style when I read this book the first eight or nine times (my kids really dig it). It took a co-worker to point out to me that she was the artist behind that magnificent celebration of feral children everywhere Wild. In that book Hughes let loose her love of modified chaos. That wasn’t a book of man vs. nature. It was a book of nature/little girl vs. man. Here Hughes reigns in her penchant for unabashed green frenzy, but her influences remain Hawaiian. Born in Hilo, Hawaii but living these days in Brighton, England, Hughes places distinctly Hawaiian elements in and about this book. From the flora and fauna (it’s not every house that grows birds of paradise in the front yard) to the design of the houses (take special note of Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael’s) to the fact that the two stop by Sakamoto’s Shave Ice at one point. Oh yeah. We’re in Hawaii now, baby.
In Hughes's hands everything that happens in the book is given this patina of safety. Children pull wagons full of rocks from one neighbor to another without adult supervision (though notice how cleverly Hughes keeps you from noticing that Charlie & Mouse’s mom and dad are accompanying them to the park off-camera, so to speak). It’s a 21st century fantasy for both children and adults, but it’s also a truly 21st century book due to some of the choices Hughes has made. When Laurel Snyder included the gay neighbors Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael, that was pretty awesome, but let’s look at Mouse as well. For much of the book Mouse is an androgynous character. Pronouns are nonexistent until the very end of the book when we learn that, “Mouse brushed his teeth.” Until that point we’ve watched Mouse don white cowboy books with gold spurs, a pink tutu, and a headband of deely-boppers. None of this is commented on. None of this is even in the text but it’s there and it is, to be frank, awesome.
I get sort of excited about early chapter books. When they’re good, that is. As any perusal of an early chapter book section in a library or bookstore will show you, you’ve gotta wade through a lot of treacle to get to the good stuff. “Charlie & Mouse” is the good stuff you’re wading towards. Short and funny and even touching, these are characters your kids are going to want to spend a lot of time with. Let’s hope Snyder and Hughes oblige them for the next few years.
For ages 4-7.
In four short stories we get to see a day in the life of brothers Charlie and Mouse. Chapter One: Lumps, consists of Charlie conducting a very serious conversation with the friendly lump that shares his bed. Chapter Two: The Party has our heroes inviting every kid on their block to “the neighborhood party” thereby guaranteeing its success (and existence). Chapter Three: Rocks is an examination of how a kid can make money when all they have is a red wagon and the rocks in their yard. Finally, Chapter Four: Bedtime Banana inspires a new chapter in Charlie and Mouse’s bedtime routine, and closes out their busy day.
I think I read somewhere (WARNING: Unsourced hearsay and conjecture approaching – proceed at your own risk) that much of this book came into existence as author Laurel Snyder took note of the things her own boys said and did and proceeded to write down. As any children’s librarian who has been on the job more than six months will tell you, within our profession there is an understanding that you will be approached by a very sweet children’s book author at some point during your career (probably multiple times) and that they will hand you their book saying that it was inspired by the cute things their own children or grandchildren have said. Such origins do not guarantee quality . . . except in the case of Charlie & Mouse. As I may have mentioned or alluded to before, my tolerance for the cutesy is distinctly low. So it was with great pleasure that I discovered that while the characters of Charlie and Mouse are undeniably cute, they are not cloying. They are not vying for your love. They are living their lives, doing what they want to do, and if what they do happens to be cute, so be it, but that is not their prerogative.
In my travels I’ve heard Charlie & Mouse compared to Arnold Lobel’s Frog & Toad books. To be honest, any book featuring two characters that don’t feel like ripping one another’s eyeballs out at some point inevitably gets compared to Frog & Toad. Charlie & Mouse however goes beyond the simple template of two friendly male characters performing small adventures. The most obvious example is found in both the first and last stories. Charlie awakens in the first to find a lump next to him in bed. He proceeds to talk with it and the sleepy lump is distinctly uninterested in getting up. This is pretty similar to the Frog & Toad story “Spring” where grumpy Toad appears for much of the tale as a sleepy lump in a bed. If Mouse had gone so far as to say “Blah” it would have clinched the comparison. Still, I would say that Charlie & Mouse does deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Lobel if only because in this book Snyder has mastered a similar tone. Because I have a five-year-old and a two-year-old I’m very keen on books with gentle tones that I can read to both kids simultaneously. Charlie & Mouse taps into a kind of free-range childhood that is very enticing to kids today, and it does that by feeling oddly classic.
Keeping her vocabulary simple, author Laurel Snyder builds the world of Charlie & Mouse with restrained skill. You instantly understand the relationship between the brothers from the start. First off, they share an enormous bed (a fantasy of younger siblings everywhere, I’ll attest) so they must get along pretty well. And while Mouse is initially reluctant to get up, once Charlie gets him on board he happily joins in on waking the parental units at, the clock indicates, 5:45 in the morning. Then there's the writing itself. Snyder’s phrasings are beautifully worked throughout the text. When their mom asks if having a banana at bedtime is “a thing” the 21st century parent will understand instantly what that means (and so, for that matter, will the kids). Plus there are jokes, both visual and evident in the text. I give a lot of points for jokes these days.
An illustrated book for children is a partnership in the purest sense of the word. Though there are plenty of books that lean heavily on the strength of their illustrators (see: All celebrity picture books . . . ever) if the text is piss poor then you’re not going to find that the book has much in the way of staying power (some overly sentimental picture books being, perhaps, the most notable exception to this rule). Likewise if the text is brilliant and the pictures ho-hum then the book might win critical acclaim but not sell well. For this reason, authors have been known to sacrifice small woodland creatures to the pitiless gods of illustration selection (i.e. editors) when it comes to their accepted manuscripts. Hit the jackpot and you’re good to go for life. Miss your chance and it’s sayonara, sweetheart. How many twitchy nosed bunnies Laurel Snyder slaughtered beneath the blood red moon of autumntide, we may never know, but one thing is clear. Emily Hughes is, without a doubt, the most perfect artist to be paired with this particular text.
I’m a little ashamed to say that I didn’t recognize Emily’s art or style when I read this book the first eight or nine times (my kids really dig it). It took a co-worker to point out to me that she was the artist behind that magnificent celebration of feral children everywhere Wild. In that book Hughes let loose her love of modified chaos. That wasn’t a book of man vs. nature. It was a book of nature/little girl vs. man. Here Hughes reigns in her penchant for unabashed green frenzy, but her influences remain Hawaiian. Born in Hilo, Hawaii but living these days in Brighton, England, Hughes places distinctly Hawaiian elements in and about this book. From the flora and fauna (it’s not every house that grows birds of paradise in the front yard) to the design of the houses (take special note of Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael’s) to the fact that the two stop by Sakamoto’s Shave Ice at one point. Oh yeah. We’re in Hawaii now, baby.
In Hughes's hands everything that happens in the book is given this patina of safety. Children pull wagons full of rocks from one neighbor to another without adult supervision (though notice how cleverly Hughes keeps you from noticing that Charlie & Mouse’s mom and dad are accompanying them to the park off-camera, so to speak). It’s a 21st century fantasy for both children and adults, but it’s also a truly 21st century book due to some of the choices Hughes has made. When Laurel Snyder included the gay neighbors Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael, that was pretty awesome, but let’s look at Mouse as well. For much of the book Mouse is an androgynous character. Pronouns are nonexistent until the very end of the book when we learn that, “Mouse brushed his teeth.” Until that point we’ve watched Mouse don white cowboy books with gold spurs, a pink tutu, and a headband of deely-boppers. None of this is commented on. None of this is even in the text but it’s there and it is, to be frank, awesome.
I get sort of excited about early chapter books. When they’re good, that is. As any perusal of an early chapter book section in a library or bookstore will show you, you’ve gotta wade through a lot of treacle to get to the good stuff. “Charlie & Mouse” is the good stuff you’re wading towards. Short and funny and even touching, these are characters your kids are going to want to spend a lot of time with. Let’s hope Snyder and Hughes oblige them for the next few years.
For ages 4-7.
April 13, 2017
Wow! I haven't read an early reader chapter book this good in maybe decades. Thank goodness someone was brilliant enough to hire Emily Hughes to do the illustrations. A perfect author/illustrator pairing. This book needs to be owned and read. Again and again.
June 29, 2020
Sweet, humorous and engaging. Feels very true to childhood. Greatly appreciate the diverse neighborhood. Love that Mouse is enthusiastic about collecting rocks... and also wears a tutu with with his cowboy outfit in one chapter. Brings together the best of old-fashioned childhoods (outdoor adventures and such) with an inclusiveness that was usually missing from books of yesteryear.
Read
February 6, 2017Given that this seemed to be geared as an early reader more so than a picture book, I wanted the illustrations to better represent the text. Children at the level of reading for this book would still depend heavily on the illustrations to assist in figuring out the text.
March 30, 2017
Simple and perfect.
March 17, 2018
I didn't love this the way many apparently loved it. However, it grew on me and I do think we need more books like this for beginning readers. I see why authors gravitate to animals in readers but using kids instead is good as well. This one uses two kids. Charlie and Mouse. Mouse is hard to classify but turns out to be a boy at that stage when the difference can be fairly hard to tell! The sarcastic humor appealed to me. "Are you awake?" Charlie asked. "No," said the lump. "I am sleeping." The joke gets repeated when the kids go in to wake up their parents. You can tell these are preschool kids since they still wake up at Oh no O'clock. The sleepy parents ride herd on the kids as they collect the neighborhood kids and end up in the park. Later, Charlie and Mouse try to sell rocks. Their goal was to raise money so the alteration in method is fine! The problem was they didn't keep the money.... Finally, the kids insist on quite the bedtime ritual, and Mom goes right along with it, although she balked slightly at the last thing the kids insist on before giving in. The last page gives indication she is going to regret not standing her ground! I still preferred King and Kayla but this is nicely done and deserved the Geisel. I just wish King and Kayla had won the Geisel outright instead of this book. Oh well...
March 2, 2018
I fell in love with this delightful book instantly. The text is simple, but the sense of humor is delicious. Emily Hughes illustrations really make the whole book, the story of some adventures that two little brothers share. It's not a surprise that it won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award!
July 5, 2017
This reminds me of the best classic beginning readers, like Frog and Toad. Much is conveyed with a simple set of repeating vocabulary. It feels timeless and modern at once. Small details like a boy playing dress-up in a tutu and cowboy vest, and neighbors that appear to be a gay couple, as well as a multiracial cast make it much more inclusive then many others in its genre. Kudos to Laurel Snyder for this very welcome contribution to the beginning reader category.
July 31, 2017
Humorous short chapters about two siblings in realistic situations. I read this aloud to my 6 year nephew who laughed and whose mother said "it sounds like you and your sister." Lots of repetition for emerging readers ready for a little longer but not too hard. There are also some more challenging words to learn. Bits of humor in the art and text for adults too (want to know how early the brothers get up and why the parents look so tired? look for the clock on the kitchen wall).
October 30, 2017
From the first chapter, "Lumps," my favorite part in the book:
"Mouse ran down the hall.
'Mom,' said Mouse. 'Dad!'
He opened a door.
He found two lumps.
Mouse poked one of the lumps. 'Are you awake?'
'No,' said the lump. 'We are sleeping.'
'How can you be sleeping?' asked Mouse.
'You are talking.'
'I am a mom,' said the lump. 'I can do what I want.'"
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!! LOVE IT.
Great beginning reader for those just starting out into chapter books. Diverse cast of characters and neighbors--pg. 22 & 23 (are the guys standing on the porch smoking? how odd if so, to be in a children's book).
"Mouse ran down the hall.
'Mom,' said Mouse. 'Dad!'
He opened a door.
He found two lumps.
Mouse poked one of the lumps. 'Are you awake?'
'No,' said the lump. 'We are sleeping.'
'How can you be sleeping?' asked Mouse.
'You are talking.'
'I am a mom,' said the lump. 'I can do what I want.'"
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!! LOVE IT.
Great beginning reader for those just starting out into chapter books. Diverse cast of characters and neighbors--pg. 22 & 23 (are the guys standing on the porch smoking? how odd if so, to be in a children's book).
December 6, 2017
Cute, hilarious, and fun, this easy reader is reminiscent of the beloved classics of 30 - 40 years ago. Adults and kids alike will be chuckling along with the witty dialogue and funny adventures the pair get themselves into.
August 30, 2017
First sentence: Charlie woke up. There was a lump beside him. He poked the lump. The lump moaned. "Are you awake?" Charlie asked. "No," said the lump. "I am sleeping." "How can you be sleeping?" asked Charlie. "You are talking." The lump stopped talking. Charlie poked the lump again. "Get up," he said to the lump. The lump did not get up.
Premise/plot: Charlie & Mouse is a picture book with four chapters: "The Lump," "The Party," "Rocks," and "Bedtime Bananas." Charlie and Mouse are brothers who have adventures together.
My thoughts: I dare you not to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Charlie and Mouse by the end. As for me, well, I was hooked by the second or third page. What did I love about this one? What did I NOT love? (The endpapers. That's the only thing I can think of that I didn't love.)
I loved, loved, loved the writing, the dialogue. It was this dialogue that had me hooked from the first chapter.
I loved the stories. The first chapter shows the two brothers at the start of the day. The last chapter shows the two brothers at the end of the day. Thus the book gives us a complete day. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite chapter. I really enjoyed this one cover to cover.
I loved how the end of the book brings us--in a way--back to the beginning.
I loved the characters. I loved the relationships in this family. Dialogue can reveal so much!
Though it isn't a traditional size for an early chapter book, the amount of text to illustration is definitely makes this more of an early chapter book.
Premise/plot: Charlie & Mouse is a picture book with four chapters: "The Lump," "The Party," "Rocks," and "Bedtime Bananas." Charlie and Mouse are brothers who have adventures together.
My thoughts: I dare you not to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Charlie and Mouse by the end. As for me, well, I was hooked by the second or third page. What did I love about this one? What did I NOT love? (The endpapers. That's the only thing I can think of that I didn't love.)
I loved, loved, loved the writing, the dialogue. It was this dialogue that had me hooked from the first chapter.
"Mom," said Mouse. "Dad!" He opened a door. He found two lumps. Mouse poked one of the lumps. "Are you awake?" "No," said the lump. "We are sleeping." "How can you be sleeping?" asked Mouse. "You are talking." "I am a mom," said the lump. "I can do what I want."
I loved the stories. The first chapter shows the two brothers at the start of the day. The last chapter shows the two brothers at the end of the day. Thus the book gives us a complete day. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite chapter. I really enjoyed this one cover to cover.
I loved how the end of the book brings us--in a way--back to the beginning.
Charlie thought about Popsicles. He started to feel sleepy. He turned over. There was a lump beside him in the bed. It was really a very nice lump. "Goodnight," Charlie said. He patted the lump. "I'm sleeping," said the lump. "I can't hear you."
I loved the characters. I loved the relationships in this family. Dialogue can reveal so much!
Though it isn't a traditional size for an early chapter book, the amount of text to illustration is definitely makes this more of an early chapter book.
May 21, 2017
Based on Snyder’s own two sons, this early chapter book is a real delight. It perfectly captures the relationship of siblings who enjoy spending time together. The four stories in the book are alluringly short and yet immensely satisfying. The book begins with Charlie waking up to a lump next to him, a lump that isn’t ready to get up yet. The second story has the two boys deciding that it’s the day of a neighborhood party and gathering their parents and friends. In the third story, the brothers try to sell rocks for money and find that people would rather pay them to take rocks away. The final story brings the book full circle with the brothers getting ready for bed and the sleepy lump reappearing.
Snyder writes with a refreshing frankness about the children, depicting them playing without fighting and enjoying their time together. Still, these are real children who have silly ideas, strong personalities and a zany sense of humor. The two boys are wonderfully distinct from one another despite the shortness of the chapters.
Hughes is one of my favorite illustrators of children, showing them in all of their playful wildness. These two brothers are the same, their messy hair, interesting wardrobe choices, and outdoor play adding to the feel that these are real children. The illustrations also give a feeling of the neighborhood and community that the children are growing up in, a friendly feel with small town aspects.
We don’t see nearly enough stories about children who love spending time with their siblings. This book celebrates that as well as the silliness of childhood. Children will look forward to the next adventures of these brothers. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
Snyder writes with a refreshing frankness about the children, depicting them playing without fighting and enjoying their time together. Still, these are real children who have silly ideas, strong personalities and a zany sense of humor. The two boys are wonderfully distinct from one another despite the shortness of the chapters.
Hughes is one of my favorite illustrators of children, showing them in all of their playful wildness. These two brothers are the same, their messy hair, interesting wardrobe choices, and outdoor play adding to the feel that these are real children. The illustrations also give a feeling of the neighborhood and community that the children are growing up in, a friendly feel with small town aspects.
We don’t see nearly enough stories about children who love spending time with their siblings. This book celebrates that as well as the silliness of childhood. Children will look forward to the next adventures of these brothers. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
July 3, 2017
If you like famous duos such as Bink & Gollie, George & Martha, Frog & Toad, and Sadie & Ratz (famous to those in-the-know), check this out. Funny & adorable.
Besides being great in big ways, there are also some wonderful details:
Mouse wearing a tutu
Friendly neighbors Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael
Sakamoto's Shave Ice
"Is that a thing?" "It's a thing."
Besides being great in big ways, there are also some wonderful details:
Mouse wearing a tutu
Friendly neighbors Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael
Sakamoto's Shave Ice
"Is that a thing?" "It's a thing."
July 20, 2020
Such a cute family, neighborhood story book as is told from the perspectives of two little brothers. I love the illustrations so much! It's classic 💯
However, I feel the story had breaks in between and the story seems incomplete.
And of course, there's a part 2 of this book 🙋
However, I feel the story had breaks in between and the story seems incomplete.
And of course, there's a part 2 of this book 🙋
May 21, 2017
What a great new early reader series!
February 14, 2018
I picked this one up because it is the winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for 2017. It is very witty and fun to read. It's perfect for little kids just learning to read or big kids who read for a living.
Read
October 6, 2020What a sweet, wholesome book! I can count on one hand the number of easy readers I’ve enjoyed but I really loved this.
August 16, 2017
I love how words & image combine to show parents as equally haggard and lovingly supportive. A great precursor to those not quite ready for an Ivy & Bean-type chapter book, with enterprising sibling protagonists as likely to wear tutus as they are to haul rocks for spending money.
December 5, 2017
Had lots of fun reading this to the kiddos!
January 9, 2018
This was a cute story! Great first chapter book and easy reader in one! I'd bet little beginning readers would enjoy this short tale! Illustrations were adorable!
February 16, 2018
My daughter would have loved this book when she was learning to read. Funny kids who say silly things--who wants a bedtime banana? And wonderful, detailed illustrations.
March 12, 2018
This is a really good book about brotherhood and friendship. Two brothers explore to collect rocks. They have so much fun together and bond so much. Having two sisters that I am close to, I really related to this book.
October 2, 2018
Cute little easy reader in my college library and had to bring it home — it feels chapter-ish with four distinct sections to the story, but it isn’t too wordy for a beginning reader. The text was super cute as we get to know Charlie and Mouse through humor. The illustrations, rendered by hand in graphite and with Photoshop, really complete the book. Great for predictions, too!
For this and more #kidlit, #mglit, and #yalit book reviews, please visit my blog: The Miller Memo.
For this and more #kidlit, #mglit, and #yalit book reviews, please visit my blog: The Miller Memo.
September 25, 2017
Two brothers spend a day together, from getting up, creating a neighborhood party, trying to sell rocks and talking their mom into bedtime bananas. A sweet family portrayal with some humor.
Classic feel, but current day inclusiveness: Mouse revealed as male at the end, but wears a tutu to the neighborhood party. Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael live together.
Personally, I was won over by "I am a mom," said the lump. "I can do what I want."
Only problem is size. Too small for picture books and wrong size for easy readers.
Classic feel, but current day inclusiveness: Mouse revealed as male at the end, but wears a tutu to the neighborhood party. Mr. Erik and Mr. Michael live together.
Personally, I was won over by "I am a mom," said the lump. "I can do what I want."
Only problem is size. Too small for picture books and wrong size for easy readers.
February 18, 2018
Charlie and Mouse are brothers. It’s the day of the neighborhood party, so they gather their friends along the way to the park. Later, they decide to earn money selling rocks, no one wants more rocks, but other means of earning money present themselves. Finally we see them stall going to bed.
This is a terrific beginning reader. 4 chapters, the darling illustrations remind me of Maurice Sendak and the simple text is perfect for the young independent reader.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
This is a terrific beginning reader. 4 chapters, the darling illustrations remind me of Maurice Sendak and the simple text is perfect for the young independent reader.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
February 25, 2021
Cute story about two brothers. Their dad eats cookies for breakfast. The boys invite all their neighborhood friends to a party. When they decide to sell rocks, they end up rock picking instead (As someone who picked rocks as a kid, I found this hilarious.)
For anyone looking for an early chapter book, this one is perfect. Fans of Cynthia Rylant's early chapter book series like Henry and Mudge or Poppleton will enjoy this.
For anyone looking for an early chapter book, this one is perfect. Fans of Cynthia Rylant's early chapter book series like Henry and Mudge or Poppleton will enjoy this.
December 2, 2017
I love the Emily Hughes illustration and this this will hopefully certainly be high up on this list of Geisel honors for the year. I presume this will be a great addition to the many ____ & _____ series.
Actually because the author is American and illustrator British I think it is eligible for the Geisel but not the Caldecott.
Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2017
Actually because the author is American and illustrator British I think it is eligible for the Geisel but not the Caldecott.
Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2017
February 6, 2017
When you finish reading a book to your child, and he says "we have to read it again", you know it's a special book. Thank you Laurel for writing such a special book that gives us a peek into your kids' lives and reminds us of the magic of neighborhoods, outdoors, and family interactions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews