Seven Little Mice Go to the Beach

PreS-Gr 1—This Japanese import is the third in a series about mice septuplets and their parents. School has just ended, so they all take a trip to the beach. While in the water, the children wear swim rings and are tethered to their father with strings. After lunch, Mother and the children nap under an umbrella, while Father falls asleep on a rock nearer the water. When the tide comes in, Father, who can't swim, is stranded. Mother comes up with a plan to tie the floats together, and two of the youngsters swim out to rescue their dad while the others pull the ropes in. This slight story is not very interesting. The nameless children have no personalities, and it is the mother who thinks of a solution to the problem. The pen-and-ink and watercolor pictures are rendered in a cozy palette of soft pastels, but do not convey much action. Children wanting to read about multiple siblings would be better off enjoying the antics of Eileen Christelow's "Five Little Monkeys" books (Clarion).—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT