Mayday Mouse

by Sebastien Braun, Sebastien Braun (Illustrator)

Overview

When Captain Mouse sets sail on a bright, sunny day with a birthday present for her brother, little does she know the sea-going perils she will have to face!
Her cheerful, optimistic nature refuses to be downcast by storms, caves, rocks and shipwrecks. Resourceful and inventive, she’s able to save the day - with just a little help from her friends!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781846437595
Publisher:	Child's Play-International
Publication date:	07/01/2017
Series:	Child's Play Library
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.62(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2017
PreS-K—Captain Mouse wants to deliver her brother's birthday present in person, so on a seemingly fine day, she sets sail in her nutshell craft. When "watery perils" turn her trip sour, eventually stranding her on a bit of land, she recalls the advice her friends gave her about calling for help. After Mouse shouts, "MAYDAY," her pals arrive with the materials she needs to build a new boat and complete the crossing. While the story is straightforward, the text and images sometimes jump unevenly from moment to moment; for example, when the island starts to shrink, it feels like something should happen, but the facing page has Mouse waking up to a passing storm, and the tension dissipates. The flow is further hampered by the writing; sentences sufficiently describe events and should prove easy enough for young readers to work out, but they feel stiff. Despite these detracting factors, the lessons of individual capability and knowing when to ask for help are clear, and the illustrations are sweet and appealing. Mouse is cute, with her rounded snout and blue captain's hat, and she certainly looks powerless as her walnut ship is swallowed by all the blue and green filling each page. VERDICT An additional purchase.—Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
In this picture book, Capt. Mouse overcomes sailing mishaps to bring her brother a birthday present. Capt. Mouse, wrapped gift in hand, sets sail on her brother's birthday in a boat she has made herself from half a walnut shell, a toothpick mast, and a handkerchief sail. Her friends, Frog and Dragonfly, wish her "bon voyage" and tell her to "watch out for big waves and watery perils." When the wind dies, Capt. Mouse "whistle[s] up a wind"—a lovely nod to an old sailing superstition. But the wind picks up too much, and then it begins to rain, and Capt. Mouse realizes with dismay that she is, indeed, in for big waves and watery perils. Braun's appealingly simple, uncontrived, adept illustrations often focus tightly on Capt. Mouse, her boat, and their immediate environment—and this framing is necessary to hold the surprise that is revealed at the story's end. Other pages feature spot illustrations, and these variations keep up visual interest. Themes of kindness, friendship, resourcefulness, and setting and keeping goals are gently delivered by the thoroughly endearing Capt. Mouse as she, in the midst of her perils, gathers her resources, adapts to new situations, and asks for help when she finds she needs it. A tiny tale with a tiny protagonist that is full of big values. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews