Mouse's First Christmas

Rich shades of evergreen, cranberry and midnight blue thinly applied to canvas form the inviting backdrop for this tale of a curious young mouse who explores the sensory delights of Christmas Eve, from things that are ""sweet and sparkly"" (a cookie) to ""jingly and glinty"" (a jingle bell)--even ""whiskery and jolly"" (guess who?). Thompson's dynamic phrasing is amplified by Erdogan's large-scale compositions and by the type design (""It was a cookie"" is set as a circle; the line ""It was a jingle bell"" curves like an arc). The debut author and artist make much from a simple premise. Ages 2-6. (Oct.)