Me and My Big Mouse

A colossal mouse dwarfs his young master in this romp from Geisel Award–winner Long (Up! Tall! and High!), who taps into the same sort of comedy inherent in the relationship between Norman Bridwell’s Clifford and Emily Elizabeth. As Michael introduces his mouse, Bo, there’s a humorous disconnect between Long’s understated text and how the action plays out in his energetic cartoons. “I love watching him scamper around the house,” says Michael as Bo careens wildly through the living room, obliviously smashing into furniture and toppling objects. When the devoted pet’s relentless, invasive presence finally wears Michael down (“I can’t even go to the bathroom without him tagging along”), he leaves Bo home for once, but quickly regrets the decision. The two strike a compromise, signing a contract that allows for both time together and apart. Readers with friends or siblings who don’t quite understand the idea of personal space will empathize with Michael’s situation, while also enjoying the story’s broad slapstick humor and emotional peaks and valleys. Ages 3–5. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (June)