I just love these Fourteen Forest Mice books by Kazuo Iwamura. The illustrations are detailed and lovely and the story is gentle and sweet. There isn't much action; this is more of a snapshot of an activity in a loving family of three generations. The books are hard to find; I got mine from one of the online used book stores.
This family of 14 forest mice are on their way to a picnic in the meadow. They travel through the forest and see different plants and animals along the way. They have to cross a stream and one falls in (he's ok). They have a wonderful time.
What I liked: It's a quiet sweet story without any drama. The illustrations are pretty and detailed, but they are very muted colors. You can explain and look for things in the drawings while you read the story.
Didn't like: More (brighter) color would be a little more exciting to today's children. And the boy mice are the ones that didn't pay attention to the flowers, just the girls. So, a teensy bit sexist and stereotypical, but you could just say "some didn't pay any attention" if you are reading it aloud.
I do plan to read this to K-1 grades for my "Spring" month in the library. Lots of birds, butterflies, flowers and eggs and such that come with spring and we'll be covering those over the month.