Ormerod's heroine from Miss Mouse's Day
here captures the wonder of plane travel. The passengers include Miss Mouse's owner, the girl's mother and the ultra-gangly rag doll herself. Once again, Miss Mouse ostensibly narrates the story—although occasionally her young owner slips in an aside ("Miss Mouse? Miss Mouse!" when she's misplaced her toy). Together, they're headed from somewhere cold and snowy to the sunnier locale where Granny lives (Granny's very chic capri pants ensemble is a tipoff to warmer climes). With minimalist text, Ormerod carefully lays out each step of the experience; a compelling and authentic emotional intensity always lies just beneath the surface of her mixed-media pictures—the characters are watchable even when they're sleeping. Moments of comic high drama also spice up the narrative: Miss Mouse must suffer the indignities of going through the X-ray machine, getting mistakenly (but only momentarily) stowed in the overhead compartment and being accidentally left in the lavatory. Youngsters preparing for their first plane trip will find that Miss Mouse's adventure removes any anxieties, but even the most seasoned junior travelers will discover plenty to make their spirits soar. Ages 3-up. (July)
