Mouse and Mole are the best of friends and we love the different everyday adventures they enjoy. A Fresh Start and The Secret of Happiness include three, beautifully illustrated short stories that are perfect for bridging the gap between picture books and longer chapter books.
We love the gentle pace of the stories which include a cast of woodland animals – Owl, Hare, Rabbit, Rat and Hedgehog. Simple everyday events and experiences are turned into discussions and adventures as Mouse and Mole enjoy each other’s company through experiences that will be familiar to young readers.
As in all close friendships there are also disagreements, discomfort and irritation and we love the way that the stories show how the two characters solve problems and value their friendship.
The stories’ whimsical illustrations complement the simple text. There is so much detail both in the interior cottage scenes and the outdoor scenes. We love Mouse and Mole’s outfits, especially Mole’s dressing gown 🙂
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Mouse & Mole
A Fresh Start
A Fresh Start: Mouse and Mole decide to spend some time apart so that they can appreciate their friendship more. Mouse follows their agreement to spend time away but Mole doesn’t find it easy…
Hip Dip Dip: Mole doesn’t have enough money to buy a blue toy boat with a white sail. Mouse offers to buy it but when Hare shows Mole several different coloured boats he’s so confused he has nightmares about which to choose. And next day the blue boat with the white sail has gone…
A Bolt from the Blue: Mouse and Mole can’t decide whether dawdling home in a storm or dashing is safest to avoid ‘a bolt from the blue’. Hiding just makes them wet until they decide not to let the storm dictate their journey home.
A Fresh Start tests the friends’ relationship but we love the way that it’s restored in Hip Dip Dip which is a fabulous story conveying kindness, caring and thinking about others. A Bolt from the Blue is our favourite as Mouse and Mole contemplate all the ways they can avoid being hit by lightning.
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Mouse & Mole
The Secret of Happiness
A Good Read: Mouse and Mole are reading their books but Mole just can’t get comfortable. Mouse unsuccessfully tries to help him stop fidgeting. Could swapping books be the answer?
This Way and That: Mole decides to go for a walk so Mouse asks him to collect items from various animals. After collecting three different items Mole starts to get annoyed – it seems that his idea of a walk is completely different to Mouse’s.
The Secret of Happiness: Mole wakes up early, he’s dreamt he’s found the secret to happiness. But he can’t remember what the secret is. Can his friends’ kind gifts help jog his memory?
We always love to see fictional characters read and love the ending of A Good Read. This Way and That made us laugh as Mole tries to go for a walk without having to run errands! The Secret of Happiness does a fabulous job of showing how waking up early and lack of sleep can cause bad moods and we love the kindness of the woodland animals as they try and help Mole.
These heartwarming adventures would make a great addition to a Reception or Key Stage One classroom. The stories can be used to stimulate discussions about friendship, kindness and community spirit and could also inspire research into different woodland animals.
Age Range: 4+
Author: Joyce Dunbar / Illustrator: James Mayhew
Thank you to Netgalley for the review copies published by Graffeg.
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