House Mouse

When a mouse discovers a “warm and welcoming” flame in an asparagus patch one cold day, she makes the first in a series of life-changing decisions. She starts by capturing the flame’s energy: “BANG BANG BANG/ the mouse made a stove// to mark the spot/ where the chilliness wasn’t.” After encounters with a hungry fox and a rainstorm, she realizes that erecting a structure around the stove would protect her from other threats. Once basic shelter is achieved, she turns, Maslow-like, to cooking food—asparagus soup bubbles on the stove—and extending warmth and welcome to others. The construction theme is a natural for Hall (Swing), who builds his images from simple, bright-colored shapes, starting with his industrious protagonist: Mouse is made from an orange, pizza-slice shape with black circle ears and feature-delineating squiggles (the flame is similarly a model of graphic economy—three simple bright layers). As readers appreciate Hall’s graphic inventiveness, they can also ponder how much comfort and company a hearth can provide. Ages 4–8. [em](May) [/em]