Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse: A Book about Feelings

The latest offering from the creators of Night Call and Vegetable Soup seems more like a pep talk on self-esteem (``There is no such thing as a right or wrong feeling'') than a fully realized picture book. There is no linear narrative, and readers don't really know who ``I'' is. Each feeling (shy, bold, sad, happy) is correlated with that of an animal, as a nameless boy in overalls expresses himself. Spowart's typically shadowy, vague illustrations seem a bit dour here, though properly moody and unthreatening. At the back of the book all the feelings are shown rebus-style, allowing youngsters to see how far they have traveled emotionally. Though the book will strike some as rather artificial in both concept and execution, it may prove a useful part of early psychological explorations. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)