Mouse Party

After moving into a rather large, deserted house, Mouse feels lonely and decides to have a party. His friends arrive one by one via a variety of vehicles-and carrying an assortment of objects: ""The first to arrive were Cat with a mat and Dog with a log. Then came Hare with a chair, Owl with a towel, Giraffe with a bath, Hen with a pen...."" But after the guests assemble, they hear a loud knock at the door. It opens to reveal a elephant returning from vacation, who announces that the house belongs to him. Assuming the party is for him, he joins in the revelry and, after the party-goers depart, amiably remarks to his new pal (who perches on Elephant's trunk), ""I think, little Mouse, perhaps it's true, there's room for us both in this house, don't you?"" With its intermittent rhyme and genial characters, Durant's (Snake Supper) cheerful text has undeniable appeal. Yet the real attention-grabber is Heap's (Town Parrot) busy, buoyant art. Her full-page watercolor-and-ink pictures keep the guests-and even inanimate objects-in constant, comical motion. (Aug.)