July 1, 2007
PreS-Another concept book by Walsh that has a simple story line and cut-paper collages. When a cat chases three mice, they hide in a heap of colorful shapes and make an assortment of pictures using them. First they use a square with a triangle on top to create a perfect house; later, they add two circles to a rectangle to make a wagon. They finally combine a bunch of shapes to create "three big scary mice" that frighten the cat away. The collage technique works well for distinguishing the brightly colored shapes, and the simple story is pitched perfectly for sharing with the youngest of listeners."Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library, IL"
Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2007
When three little mice run from a cat, they find a cluster of brightly colored squares, triangles, rectangles, circles, ovals, and diamonds where they hide until he leaves. Soon they are moving the shapes about to create pictures: a house, a wagon, and even a cat. After the real cat pounces, they hatch a clever plan to scare him away. Just as visually appealing as Mouse Paint (1989) and Mouse Count (1991), this little book features simple, elegant page design using cut-and-torn-paper collage figures silhouetted against a clean, white background and framed by a strong black rectangle. Walsh accomplishes her purpose of teaching shapessubtly and playfully through the text and illustrations. Though the statement any shape with three sides is a triangle wouldnt pass muster in a geometry class, it may not raise much concern in the preschool or kindergarten classroom. Parents and teachers can easily extend the lesson and the fun by providing cutout colored-paper shapes for children to play with after the story ends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2007
In this companion to Mouse Paint, etc., a cat chases three brown mice into a pile of brightly colored shapes, and once the cat leaves, the mice amuse themselves by combining the shapes into a house (a square and a triangle), a tree, and so on. They even create their own version of the cat, complete with sharp triangle teeth, and in a funny twist construct big versions of themselves to scare the cat away. Walsh makes the action clear even to very young children by giving the live mice roughly torn edges and the constructed mouse shapes crisply cut ones, all with her characteristic paper collage technique on white backgrounds. Because the mice pretend they are making things, like a wagon, for an imaginary mouse that lives in the first house they created, the layers of reality may be confusing. Still, the shape concept is clearly and attractively presented, and the mice, with their mischievous sense of humor, are an inviting group of playmates.
(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)