Mirabel's Missing Valentines

PreS-Gr 1—Mirabel is a shy mouse with lots of determination. Despite her nervousness she makes Valentine's Day cards for her classmates. In spite of her trepidation, she slowly makes her way to school on the fateful day. Unbeknownst to her, the cards have fallen from a hole in her bag and have brightened the day of each person (animal) who picked one up—a lonely lady, construction workers, a busy papa, a jogger, a garbage man. Arriving at school with an empty bag Mirabel cried, "I've lost my Valentines!!" Hearing her cry, smiling folks return her cards and thanking her for sharing them, if only for a little while. Emboldened by unintentionally making new friends, Mirabel joins in the fun at party time. As she skips home from school, her pals slip more valentines into her bag. Lawler's rhyming text is a pleasure to read. Using muted colors and plenty of detail, Mueller's digital illustrations are warm and cozy with a small town feel. The opening endpapers depict Mirabel's path to school and the folks she'll encounter while the back pages depict those same folks exchanging their own valentines.