Mayday Mouse

PreS-K—Captain Mouse wants to deliver her brother's birthday present in person, so on a seemingly fine day, she sets sail in her nutshell craft. When "watery perils" turn her trip sour, eventually stranding her on a bit of land, she recalls the advice her friends gave her about calling for help. After Mouse shouts, "MAYDAY," her pals arrive with the materials she needs to build a new boat and complete the crossing. While the story is straightforward, the text and images sometimes jump unevenly from moment to moment; for example, when the island starts to shrink, it feels like something should happen, but the facing page has Mouse waking up to a passing storm, and the tension dissipates. The flow is further hampered by the writing; sentences sufficiently describe events and should prove easy enough for young readers to work out, but they feel stiff. Despite these detracting factors, the lessons of individual capability and knowing when to ask for help are clear, and the illustrations are sweet and appealing. Mouse is cute, with her rounded snout and blue captain's hat, and she certainly looks powerless as her walnut ship is swallowed by all the blue and green filling each page.