MOUSE, MOLE, AND THE FALLING STAR

Mouse and Mole "trusted each other completely, even with their deepest secrets." But when they spot a falling star, each is determined to find it and wish on it, and the friendship quickly disintegrates into a tango of mistrust. As summer ends, "Mole and Mouse grew lonely and miserable. They missed each other's company…. They even missed the sad moments." Benjamin's (It Could Have Been Worse) tone veers into didacticism: "Anyway, we don't need a star. We have each other," Mouse concludes when a second "falling star" turns out to be a leaf. Bendall-Brunello (I Love You This Much) offsets this heavy-handedness with winning watercolors that emphasize the similarities between the two characters. Mouse and Mole, who think themselves at odds, not only look very much alike but wear nearly identical expressions as their feelings change from hope to animosity and sorrow to hope once again. Kids may also be intrigued by the endpapers, which show pencil studies for the color illustrations. Ages 3-6. (July)