SMALL

Mistakenly left behind when his owner goes on an overnight to Granny's, a toy mouse named Small risks his stuffing on a nighttime, cross-country reunion quest. Small must evade obstacles that are staples of this genre—spooky darkness, a mean cat, yucky weather—but Vulliamy (the daughter of Shirley Hughes, whose style this work clearly recalls) breathes new life into these familiar encounters. In contrast to the cozy, Hughes-like vignettes showing Tom indoors at Granny's, the night landscapes, rendered in shimmery blues, greens, lavenders and grays, radiate a chilly beauty. Vulliamy heightens the menace with overhead and distorted perspectives; in one scene, deep focus makes it seem as if the city's buildings are encroaching on the hero. But Vulliamy doesn't overplay her hand. Even though Small's eyes are wide with anxiety, youngsters will be reassured by the indomitableness that animates his sturdy little body—especially in panels that show him confidently shimmying down a drainpipe or hurdling a curb. Those on the upper end of the target audience may be too old to be caught up in Small's perils, but younger children will follow his trials and tribulations avidly, and enjoy a satisfying sigh of relief when the beloved mouse lands himself back into the boy's arms. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)