Morris Mole

by Dan Yaccarino, Dan Yaccarino (Illustrator)

Overview

From internationally acclaimed author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino comes a heartwarming tale about finding your own courage.

Meet Morris Mole—he has always been a little bit different. When the moles are running low on food, it's up to clever Morris to save the day. With a little help from an unexpected friend and a lot of digging, Morris learns that even the smallest creatures can do big things.

Featuring Dan Yaccarino’s bright and distinctive art, Morris Mole is sure to win the hearts of all readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062411075
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dan Yaccarino is an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator with more than thirty children’s books to his credit, including I Am a Story, Five Little Pumpkins, Five Little Bunnies, Trashy Town, and Giant Tess. He also created and produced Nickelodeon’s Oswald and is the character designer behind The Backyardigans. You can visit him at www.yaccarinostudio.com.

Dan Yaccarino is an internationally acclaimed author-illustrator with more than thirty children’s books to his credit, including I Am a Story, Five Little Pumpkins, Five Little Bunnies, Trashy Town, and Giant Tess. He also created and produced Nickelodeon’s Oswald and is the character designer behind The Backyardigans. You can visit him at www.yaccarinostudio.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/06/2017
Yaccarino (I Am a Story) highlights the power of kindness and daring to go against the grain in the story of a small, dapper mole who doesn’t fit in with his larger, burlier brothers. Deep underground, a family of blue moles spends its days doing the same thing: “Together they dug. They ate. And they slept.” Yaccarino instantly establishes the difference between bookish Morris, who wears a checkered suit and fedora, and his strapping brothers, who are decked out in boots and hard hats. When food becomes scarce, the brothers do what comes naturally (“Dig, dig, down! Deep in the ground!”) but Morris summons the courage to follow a hunch, tunneling up to the surface where a bounty of food awaits. So do predators: in another show of bravery and resourcefulness, Morris saves the life of a fox who is about to eat him. The grateful fox enlists its friends to help Morris gather snails, bugs, and worms to bring home to his impressed brothers. Yaccarino’s crisp, retro graphics exude energy and humor while emphasizing the rewards that can come with trusting one’s instincts. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)

Publishers Weekly

This engaging read-aloud…encourages children to be open to accepting and exploring different points of view. It also demonstrates how teamwork can benefit everyone…a must-have for all shelves.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Yaccarino highlights the power of kindness and daring to go against the grain in the story of a small, dapper mole who doesn’t fit in with his larger, burlier brothers...Yaccarino’s crisp, retro graphics exude energy and humor while emphasizing the rewards that can come with trusting one’s instincts.” — Publishers Weekly

“Yaccarino’s digital illustrations are bold and graphic, and they do an excellent job of contrasting the under- and aboveground worlds that Morris Mole traverses in his adventure of individuality and community.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The effective use of backgrounds…helps to signal key setting details for young listeners. A gentle reminder that thinking differently can have its rewards.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

The effective use of backgrounds…helps to signal key setting details for young listeners. A gentle reminder that thinking differently can have its rewards.

Booklist

The effective use of backgrounds…helps to signal key setting details for young listeners. A gentle reminder that thinking differently can have its rewards.

Booklist

★ 03/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—Morris the mole is unique in his family. His brothers spend their days digging, eating, and sleeping. Morris is smaller than his siblings and follows a slightly different routine. One day the moles discover that they have run out of food. Morris has a suggestion that he thinks can save the day. When Morris attempts to inform his brothers about his idea, he is ignored. Morris proceeds to go on an adventure filled with twists and surprises along the way. Vibrant and bold colors contrast with the dark backgrounds. Black space adds depth to the tunnels that the moles continuously dig. White space is used to depict Morris's eventual emergence aboveground. Morris sports a blue checkered suit, which makes him stand out easily from his brothers. His choice in outfit mimics his equally distinctive personality and thoughts. This engaging read-aloud illustrates how an outsider can help solve problems in ways that members of a unified group may not have considered, and encourages children to be open to accepting and exploring different points of view. It also demonstrates how teamwork can benefit everyone. VERDICT Morris may be small, but he can indeed do big things; a must-have for all shelves.—Deanna Smith, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2017-03-15
Morris strikes out on his own in this story about an anthropomorphic, iconoclast mole.Smaller than the rest and clad in a dapper suit rather than miners' gear, Morris Mole's suggestion falls on deaf ears when he voices an idea to improve his fellow moles' lot. While his brothers' focus is on digging ever deeper underground to find scarce food, Morris Mole decides to tunnel up through the earth. "I may be small, but I can do big things," he tells himself as he digs deep within himself to find courage. When he emerges aboveground he finds a wonderland of not only food, but bird song, flowers, and friendly passers-by. An encounter with a fox almost dooms Morris, but then he (rather implausibly) saves the fox from a wolf, who, for some odd reason, just lets him be. This plot twist seems rather forced and lacking in logic, but the grateful fox then rallies others to collect a veritable feast for Morris Mole to bring back to his underground family. Yaccarino's digital illustrations are bold and graphic, and they do an excellent job of contrasting the under- and aboveground worlds that Morris Mole traverses in his adventure of individuality and community. Plot holes may mar the story a bit, but there's plenty to dig anyway. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews