  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2019 Delivery driver Motor Mouse has a series of adventures in this new book by the team behind Mr. Putter and Tabby. In the first story, Motor Mouse and Telly, a barber, happily do their jobs all week, looking forward to Friday Cake Day. Disappointed to find their favorite bakery closed one Friday, a cheerful hedgehog saves the day by introducing them to a pie shop in a nearby town. The middle story, Going for a Look-About has a somewhat wistful tone that children who have moved or experienced loss will understand, while the last story Front Row at the Picture Show explores the themes of sharing and getting along with others. All the characters are adult animals, but the humorous, bright cartoon-style illustrations ensure child appeal. The format of the book is unusual: the trim size resembles a picture book, but the chapters are more commonly found in beginning readers. The vocabulary is not simple, making the book somewhat of a bridge for adults to share with children as they move toward independent reading. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 04/01/2019 K-Gr 3—Rylant continues to create worlds of intriguing characters and fun adventures in this first title of her new series. This book contains three separate tales, each following the star character Motor Mouse and some of his friends. In the first, Motor Mouse and his friend Terry learn to try new things when the cake shop closes on Cake Friday. The second entry has Motor Mouse take a taxi to see old sights and make some new friends. In the third story, Motor Mouse and his brother Valentino must figure out how to share a large bucket of popcorn at the movies without hogging all the delicious treat. The plots are simple to follow and well paced for younger readers, the characters are enjoyable, and the life lessons are brilliantly simplified and understandable. The illustrations help to establish the personalities and the world of Motor Mouse through their lovable cartoon style. They also help to show the plot of each story, which is great for beginning readers who are still learning to read. The vocabulary is also simple and easy to understand. VERDICT This enticing series starter for early readers teaches flexibility, friendship, and compromise.–Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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