The Mouse and the Meadow

by Chad Wallace

Overview

A curious young mouse boldly ventures into the meadow for the first time. There he is given a crash course on life—from creatures both friendly and not so friendly. He witnesses a caterpillar becoming a chrysalis. He marvels that fireflies can glow. Thoughtful encounters with a turtle and a rabbit help prepare him for danger. Science and story blend seamlessly in this entertaining coming of age tale. But do animals talk and help each other? Thoughtful back matter explores the phenomenon of animal altruism and what we are learning of animal communication, and delves deeper into the lives of meadow mice and the wonders of a meadow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781584694823
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	03/01/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 10 Years

About the Author

A graduate of Syracuse University, Chad Wallace has been illustrating children's books 1997. This is his fourth book for young readers and second with Dawn Publications. Chad has always felt close to animals and nature, which are the primary source of his inspiration. Chad seeks to draw and paint animals in a natural setting while at the same time presenting a new perspective. Bright colors and human-like emotions invite the viewer into an animal's world that is both admirable and entertaining. When Chad is not in his Westchester, New York studio, he spends time at Bear Mountain in a cabin by a lake. Chad has illustrated two books for Dawn Publications, Pass the Energy Please! and Earth Day Birthday.

Editorial Reviews

2014-01-15
An inquisitive field mouse ventures from his nest for the first time and encounters various creatures—big and small, friend and foe—all while learning and teaching readers about the habitat of a meadow. Wallace uses digital media to create photorealistic spreads for his rhyming adventure. The focus is on one particularly charming mouse whose curiosity leads him to have informative conversations with the likes of a web-spinning spider, an industrious bee, a caterpillar beginning its transformation and a wise box turtle. "The mouse gave his attention to the turtle's candid words, / Which warned the mouse of hidden snakes and predatory birds. / So far he was fond of all the dwellers in this 'hood, / That is until he came upon a patch of rotting wood…." In dramatic scenes, a sinuous snake and a fearsome owl come close to harming the little rodent. But there are tender, rosy-hued moments in which he shares a furry rabbit's burrow and wondrous ones in which the mouse first discovers a group of fireflies. Most impressive is the perspective—always from the mouse's big eyes. As the mouse's adventures come to a close, the tiny creature meets up with another of his kind who promises friendship and perhaps a bit of romance at the close. Stiff verse aside, the book has undeniable child appeal. (notes, suggested activities) (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews