  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2017 PreS-Gr 1—Using just one word and two forms of punctuation, Mack presents a clever story about two mice who both lay claim to what seems to be a very large rock. The pen-and-ink drawings feature brightly colored, cartoonlike pops of yellow, orange, and blue, and both mice exhibit a wide array of emotions in their ridiculous attempts to claim the rock. Happiness, sadness, surprise, and anger follow silly tricks, enticements, and distractions. When the rock turns out to be more than just a rock, both the characters and readers are challenged to consider the concepts of possession, sharing, and ownership. Though minimalist in humor and illustration, this picture book is conceptually rich and a whole lot of fun. VERDICT Mack provides a comical foundation for a discussion or storytime about sharing and possessiveness. A playful, worthy addition to public and school libraries.—Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2017 Two mice. One rock. Only one word: MINE! The blue mouse shouts it in blue text on the summit of the big rock, holding a flag like Sir Edmund Hillary. The disgruntled orange mouse down below entices him off the rock with a smelly piece of Swiss cheese on the end of a fishing pole. Crash, bang—blue mouse falls on his nose, and orange mouse grabs the flag, takes possession, and screams “MINE!” in orange text. The two pugilists make increasing demands for sole possession. In the surprising denouement, the gray “rock” is really a turtle’s shell; with a loud “MINE!” he wanders off. Fighting over? Not so. Now the two mice eye the one remaining piece of Swiss cheese. This humorous portrayal of the difficulties of sharing will resonate, as even the youngest children will be able to “read” the story’s one repeating word. The accessible art, popping characters, and generous white space combine with simple line drawings and bright colors, making for a fun read-aloud. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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