Blue shoes
Green shoes
Red.
Shoes go on your feet.
What goes on your head?
Purple fish
Orange fish -
rainbow
tail."
Oh, she's an industrious one - the little mouse who stars in the engaging picture book. She packs her suitcase and sets off to accompany little ones on this journey of discovery. Each turn of the page is a sweet invitation to readers and listeners to take the time to immerse themselves in all there is to see.
First, it is a concept book that encourages young children to take note of both color and number. It is also filled with lively language that builds on rhyming, listening, and new vocabulary. though not mentioned again, astute observers will spy that wee tiny mouse. She does appear on every new spread. The journey is perfectly paced, always directing the audience's attention to the questions being asked and things to be noted.
"Brown dog
Red dog
Dog with a
spot.
Dogs that are friendly,
and dogs that are not."
Blanca Gomez ensures that delighted attention will be paid with each new scene. They are brightly colored, with visits to many of the community's familiar places - the streets, a flower garden, local transit, the sidewalk, curb and street crossing, the aquarium, the ice cream store ... Kids are asked to make decisions when thinking about safety, flavor, observation, and always attending to the many details provided.
The final page asks a question that will send children back to the beginning -
"and did you spot that mouse?"
The mouse and her suitcase? If that isn't enough, the author adds a bit of extra fun using the endpaper images. She suggests that a careful look at them might lead readers back to a 'related image in the story'. What fun!
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