Seven Little Mice Have Fun on the Ice

PreS-Gr 1—When ice-skating septuplets see their friend Little Weasel and his father ice fishing, they beg their parents to take them the next day. Unfortunately their father has to work and their mother, known as the Ice-Fishing Princess in her younger years, is afraid of falling. But the clever little mice have an idea. With a little help from their father, they design and build a sled chair to take their mother to the ice-fishing hole. Mother happily obliges, but once the fishing has begun the siblings are impatient for the fish to start biting. Luckily, their mother is still the Ice-Fishing Princess and manages to bring in eight fish at once. The happy mice roast their feast right on the lake and take the extra home to father. Yamashita's story of septuplets on a mission is enhanced by the various comments of the little mice that prove he is well acquainted with children. The illustrations are just right for the text. Iwamura depicts perfectly the expressions of the mice and includes plenty of details to capture children's imagination. This story is a welcome addition to any library, from those in areas where lakes freeze to those serving children who wonder what lake ice is.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH