The Tiny Mouse

A persnickety mouse searches for adventure in a picture book drawn from a 2011 song from singer-songwriter Ian. Set apart from his fellow rodents by his coattails, fancy shoes, and grand house crafted from garbage, the mouse stows away on a ship, only to quickly regret his decision. After a bout of motion sickness, he winds up in the quarters of the feline captain, where the unnerving sight of dead mice plunked tails-up in a serving dish%E2%80%94%C3%A0 la shrimp cocktail%E2%80%94convinces him to jump ship. "He caught a flounder for a sail,/ made rudder of his tail/ and swam as hard as he could swim for land," where he is swiftly greeted by a "mouseketeer" who becomes his wife. The Schuberts (The Umbrella) create an eerie world of turbulent seas, homely mice, and surreal details, while hewing closely to the lyrics' descriptions. The "moral of the tale"%E2%80%94"think before you sail"%E2%80%94may prove puzzling, since the mouse wouldn't have discovered his future wife and children if he'd stayed home. Includes sheet music and a CD recording of Ian performing the song. Ages 4%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)