Mouse Calls

by Anne Marie Pace

Mouse warns her array of animal neighbors of a coming storm in this high-spirited rhyming picture book about friendship, teamwork, and communication.When a giant storm appears on the horizon, Mouse rushes to alert her nearby neighbors. And there are a lot of them! Mouse’s warning sets off a game of telephone across the land, from Snail to Whale, Loon to Raccoon, Chimpanzee to Manatee! Can this quirky crew come together and take cover before the storm hits?

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Communication

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2022

About the author

Anne Marie Pace is a picture book author. She is the author of the VAMPIRINA BALLERINA series, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, published by Disney-Hyperion starting in 2012, which is in production as a Disney Junior animated series to debut in 2017; and PIGLOO (Henry Holt, illustrated by Lorna Hussey, October, 2016). Her upcoming books include GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion, illustrated by Christopher Denise, December, 2017), and BIG-EYED BUG (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, 2018), as well as the new VAMPIRINA AT THE BEACH, coming in April 2017. Past books include NEVER EVER TALK TO STRANGERS and A TEACHER FOR BEAR, both published by Scholastic Book Clubs. She lives with her family in Virginia.

Reviews

[Sarah BT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is adorable and has great rhymes. Pair with Moose, Goose, and Mouse for a rhyming storytime.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Mouse Calls, written by Anne Marie Pace and illustrated by Erin Kraan, a lovely mashup of wordplay and community support.

After a spotting a mighty storm over the sea with her spyglass, Mouse rushes off to inform the animal citizens of her coastal community. Mouse calls Moose, who calls Goose, who calls Dog and Hog and Hare. This haphazard game of telephone continues as the message of the storm spreads through the grapevine, and the artwork periodically checks in on the creatures as they gather in a cave for shelter. At last, when every last animal has found their way to safety, the friends band together to thank Mouse for her courage and consideration.

Heartwarming fun. The bouncy, rhythmic text is based entirely on fun wordplay surrounding the names of animal species, pairing unexpected characters like Loon and Raccoon, or Kangaroo and Caribou, and it’s a delight to read aloud. It pairs well with Kraan’s charmingly quirky illustrations, which fill each character with personality by way of their wardrobe or hobbies. The repeating visual of the cave filling up with the neighbor animals is wonderful, and it’s fun to pick out all the animals the reader has met so far and see how they are interacting. Furthermore, the ending ties together on a nice message of community banding together in times of trouble and taking care of one another. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ and I both loved this one. A delightful must-read that bookworms of any age can enjoy, abd it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Mouse feels a few droplets of rain and anticipates a coming storm he sets in motion a rippling effect of calls to all critters of the animal kingdom. With bright fun illustrations and a round of rhyming text, this story is a great read aloud. Young readers will get introduced to many animals that they know and perhaps some they don't. Once they are all gathered they fill the last two pages of the book with a big Thank you to Mouse. A simple story of communication, caring for you friends well being and gratitude.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The jacket flap begins the story, "A big story is coming ... and Mouse is on the move!"
Mouse starts the call to tell all the other animals to get to the safety of the cave.
The only text in the book is one animal calling another animal. Readers need to read the illustrations to see what's happening. And the call is not a phone call, it's a cry or summons or visit in person.

The art is rendered in woodcut prints and digital collage.

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Kami Mauldin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute! My toddler and I loved the activities each animal was doing when they got called to the cave. It made it very interactive. We liked to point out all the animals drinking coffee lol! Good opportunity to introduce her to animals who don’t get talked about often but happened to rhyme perfectly in the story. I recommend for any young kids!

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mouse spies a storm coming and calls all the other animals to take shelter. A long string of rhyming animal names ensues as the animals phone tree the warning to one another. I think kids who are just starting to get the concept of rhymes would find this delightful and satisfying.

Themes: Animals, Weather, Rhyme
Age range: Kindergarten-Early Elementary

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 -4 stars. Absolutely loved the illustrations. Story is a little long with a lot of repetition. Great for a rhyming storytime or for having your storytime kids help with guessing the different animals.
Will try for a storytime and see how the children react.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Galley copy] Vigorous illustrations for this sweet game of telephone.

[Y.Poston]

delightful friendship book

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids liked the large variety of animals

[Stephani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute rhyming text and lovely illustrations. It does go a little too long, so best for kiddos 3 and up. Would be fun to read a loud.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the sweet illustrations but I didn't love the story. It went on for too long and wasn't particularly interesting.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mouse gets the ball rolling to quickly alert all the animals so they can take shelter from the storm together. A comforting picture book to share and include in units celebrating community.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming is fun.

[Angela Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, bright, colorful illustrations accompany this sweet, rhyming tale about the power of friendship to weather the storm.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Did not finish.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need a book with a huge variety of animals, simple text, and fun lively illustrations? Check this one out. Mouse notices a storm and gathers the animals in a cave for safety.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a huge storm coming, and Mouse starts the alert for all his friends to gather together in a safe place. The message is passed on from friend to friend to friend. Great illustrations and simple rhyming text about friendship and caring for one another make this an easy story for little ones.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

While on the lookout, Mouse spots a big storm approaching, and warns Moose, who in turn alerts Goose, and the warning is passed on to every animal within earshot in this rhyming tale of communication, and preparation for danger.