Rules Are for a Reason

Carlo the Mouse #4

by Mrs. D.

More trouble for the Most Wanted Mouse! The hospital cook, manager, and exterminator have proclaimed war against the mice of the world! Rules Are for a Reason is the fourth in a series of books on Carlo the mouse. Always hungry, the curious little mouse snoops underneath each door, driving the hospital staff crazy. He’s constantly breaking the rules his parents taught him. One morning, Carlo wakes up sick. Horrified, he leaps from his bed and looks in the mirror—and finds he looks like a meatball! Fly disease? Mousesclerosis? Chickenpoxsclerosis? Sounds long! What sickness did the carefree mouse catch while exploring the hospital? Will Carlo turn into a chicken … or a frog … or maybe a prince? You’ll find out in the next book on Carlo’s adventures: Nothing Is Safe in a Mouse’s Life. If you want to know if Carlo will learn to follow the rules Papa Mouse and Mama Mouse taught him, you must read every day and follow your parents’ rules. More exciting adventures of Carlo the Mouse await you!

37 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2018

About the author

Olga D'Agostino (known as Mrs. D.) is an award-winning children’s author (recipient of multiple Mom’s Choice Awards, Beverly Hills Book Awards, and International Readers’ Favorite Awards). She lived and worked in Lviv, a cultural center in western Ukraine, before immigrating to the United States in 1992. In 2012 she published her first children’s book, and since then she’s pursued a career as a writer, focusing on writing children’s books that have meaning and provide valuable lessons. She speaks many languages, loves reading, writing, gardening, and traveling. Her award-winning illustrated children’s books include The Trees Have Hearts, Good Morning, World!, The City Kittens and the Old House Cat, Runaway Clothes, The Little Girl Praying on the Hill, and The Royal Palm. She lives in Smithville, NJ, with her husband, Patrick. They have four children and four grandchildren. Her unpredictable calico cat, Nyda, was the inspiration for many of her stories.

Published children's books by Mrs. D. include:

The Trees Have Hearts
The City Kittens and the Old House Cat
Good Morning, World!
Runaway Clothes
Runaway Clothes: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Royal Palm
The Little Girl Praying on the Hill,
The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet
That Is How Things Are
That Is How Things Are: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
Baby from the Moon
Who Will Feed Stacey First? Story 1
What’s Going On Inside the Fridge: Story 2
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge? Story 3
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge: Coloring Book for Kids
Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse
Carlo the Mouse, Book 2: Now We're Talking!
Carlo the Mouse, Book 3: What's Going On?
Carlo the Mouse, Book 4: Rules Are for a Reason
Carlo the Mouse, Book 5: Nothing Is Safe in a Mouse’s Life
Carlo the Mouse, Book 6: That’s My Life!
The City Kittens
A Taste of Bread
Somewhere Between Two Worlds

Cat Who Wonders by Itself,
What is GOOD and What is BAD?
Where Did Grandpa Go?
My Grandpa Is a Werecow

Her books are available in print on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and as e-books for most popular e-devices.

The full series of Carlo the Mouse and her new novel, The Chinese Princess will be published in the near future.

Reviews

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Against his parents’ wishes, Carlo the Mouse sneaks through the halls of the hospital in which he lives. The head chef of the hospital makes such delicious food that Carlo desperately wants to become his friend, but the head chef only wants to swat Carlo with his spatula. After sneaking into the rooms of various patients in the hospital in order to steal their scraps, Carlo becomes quite ill. As his parents question his movements, Carlo realizes that the last room he visited had housed a patient with an infectious disease. It finally dawns on Carlo as to why it is so important to follow his parents’ rules.

I loved this beautifully illustrated and unusual story by Mrs. D. about why it is so vitally important for people to follow rules which they are given. Whether in childhood or in everyday life, there is always a consequence for each and every action we decide on. Although stealing food from humans is something mice are quite famous for, it is not until Carlo has snuck into the room of a patient who is carrying an illness which can be transmitted to others that disaster strikes. Contagious diseases are never fun and are usually contracted unexpectedly, especially when the illness is transmitted just by breathing the same air or accidentally touching someone. When we are given rules to follow, it is so the consequences of our actions will not be bad. Children around the world would definitely learn a valuable lesson in reading Rules Are For a Reason, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to be read by (or to) young readers aged 4-12, so that they can see that rules and common sense are vital if you wish to live a long and healthy life.

- Rosie Malezer for Reader’s Favorite

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo the Mouse Book 4" Rules Are for a Reason," written by Mrs. D. is a cute story. Carlo learns why rules are good to follow. Roaming the floors of the hospital and visiting rooms he shouldn't, causes him much trouble, not to mention all the trouble he causes the staff members.
He develops hives and worries if it's Mousesclerosis or Chickenpoxsclerosis.
Readers will love this fourth story in this series. To see a complete look, check out Mrs. D's other "Carlo the Mouse" books.

(I received a kindle copy of this book from the author. Thank you Mrs. D!)

[Israel Drazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo the cute young mischievous mouse learns in this very entertaining book, the fourth in the series by multi-award winning author Mrs. D with colorful adorable drawings by Chanoa, that he needs to follow the rules that his parents have been trying to teach him. He had not been careful. He did not understand that there are very good reasons why youngsters need to follow rules, and he kept getting into trouble. Now, after having jumped into the bed of a sick man suffering with chickenpox and having his body covered with bumps, he learnt his lesson.

Beside the important teaching to follow rules, what human kids also need to learn, the book is hysterical. We see the Florida hospital manager, where Carlo and his mom and dad are living, who cannot capture the illusive young mouse, putting up a huge wanted poster, as if Carlo was a wanted criminal in the old west. Carlo hates his picture on the poster. He complains to the manager and insists that he hire a professional photographer who can do his face right. Carlo learns how to avoid mouse traps that are now only catching spiders and flies. When Carlo sees the chickenpox bumps on his body he gets all kinds of bizarre ideas about what is happening to him, and his ideas are hilarious.

Children will learn from this enjoyable book about rules; and they will identify with Carlo, like him a lot, and enjoy reading his adventure or having it read to them.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 continues the adventures of Carlo, the intrepid mouse, on his adventure in the hospital where he lives. Carlo spends most of his time dodging the hospital administrator who is determined to eliminate him. When Carlo spies a poster on the wall labeled “most wanted mouse,” he becomes indignant because he feels it doesn't do him justice.

Carlo's parents have repeatedly warned him to follow the rules, but Carlo continues to taunt the hospital chef by stealing food from the kitchen by night and watching cooking shows in the patient's rooms during the day. One day Carlo breaks out in hives “...like popcorn bursting in a hot pan.” Carlo fantasizes how he got this disease. His mother figures it out. Carlo has spent too much time in the infectious disease part of the hospital and has contracted chicken pox. Poor Carlo takes this literally and fears that there are chickens under his skin.

The book is written with humor, colorful language and vibrant illustrations by Chanoa. Elementary school-age readers will be truly entertained. Carlo learns the hard way once more why it is important to follow the rules. Maybe his young readers will take note.

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily decided to review for no compensation, giving my honest opinions.

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo the Mouse, Book 4, creatively written by Mrs. D and beautifully illustrated by Chanda, is another wonderful addition for children’s libraries everywhere. This mouse is an adorable and mischievous character that children will love to read about. In this episode Carlo gets sick after visiting patients while stealing their food in the contagious ward of the hospital. It takes a lot to slow down this hyperactive, curious mouse but getting chicken pox does exactly that.

The author weaves life lessons into her creative stories. Children will learn, along with Carlo, the importance of rules and listening to parents who know best. The brilliant and colorful illustrations add excitement to the story and compliment it perfectly.

I read this story to my grandson who is four and acted out each scene. He was mesmerized and loved the cute mice and illustrations. He turned the pages quickly to see what happened next before I could finish reading. I highly recommend all Mrs. D’s Books for your children’s home library.

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this wonderful story to be of benefit for children age 3 – 12. Carlo learns that he must follow the rules his parents have given to him, and if he doesn’t, things happen. The illustrations are beautiful and suited to each page of text. Carlo learns why a mouse, or anyone, should not go into a hospital room of an infectious disease patient, no matter how yummy the food looks. Carlo gets ill and he found out the wrong way in doing what he did was wrong. The consequences of one’s actions, determines the outcome and moral of the story.