marybatson's Full Review: Lauren Thompson - Mouse's First Halloween
I yearn for autumn: fallen leaves, crisp night air, and the smell of wood burning stoves. This is probably in part because I endure temperatures that skyrocket into the triple digits for months at a time, so the slightest respite is welcoming. Mid-September has me rummaging through the shed for fall paraphernalia to adorn my humble abode. Holiday books are stored with the seasonal decorations, as it seems to create a sense of wonder for my little guy. Mouse’s First Halloween was my son’s first trick-or-treat book, and one that holds special sentiment as well.
Over near the wall, Mouse saw something sneaking –
Creep! Creep! Creep!
“Eek!” Mouse squeaked.
What could it be?
(Turn the page…)
Scampering kittens!
That’s all.
Not so scary after all.
Little Mouse is creeping around on Halloween night, and discovers his overactive imagination is playing tricks on him. The sounds Mouse hears are just autumn noises like a waving scarecrow, tumbling leaves, and falling apples, but he reacts with slight panic and questions each sound: Flit! Flit! Flit!, Thump! Thump! Thump!, Plop! Plop! Plop! and so on. He squeaks, “Eek! What could it be?” with every noise, and when he learns the cause of the sound, he calms himself by saying, “Not so scary after all.” I love the repetitive nature of the verses. Lauren Thompson is quite an accomplished children’s book author. She’s written dozens of books: the Little Quack series, plus the eight mice stories. Although Mouse’s First Halloween is a short 32-page book for young children 2 and up, Thompson’s certainly made an impression with my son. The writing doesn't rhyme, but the recurring text, and onomatopoeia allows the story to flow.
Buket Erdogan’s illustrations are perfect for this story. She paints in acrylics, therefore the colors are bold and intense, yet the mood is somewhat ominous. The book is set outdoors at night, so it supposed to be dark. The canvases are saturated in deep, fall colors like burnt oranges, rich reds, midnight blues and brilliant golden tones. In addition, the artist builds layers of paint to create heavy texture and contrast. It’s as if she washes every canvas in neon blue, and paints over it, so the brilliant blue seeps through to the front, which produces a grainy quality. I love looking at her work! The illustrations may be too gloomy for say a 1-year old, because Ms. Erdogan really emphasises shadow, but my son was three when I picked up this book, and he wasn't scared at all.
Ms. Erdogan has made a career of illustrating Lauren Thompson’s mice stories, Mouse’s First Christmas, Mouse’s First Fall and so forth. Mouse’s First Halloween is the only book in the mice series we own, which is unfortunate, but as my boy has grown beyond board books, I’ll retire this work to the baby closet once this Halloween passes. My son and I will miss this book, as some works just hold a special place in your heart. This book taught my kid that bats aren’t scary, and neither are jack-o-lanterns. I’m not particularly fond of rodents, but this Mouse can come and visit anytime.
ISBN: 0-689-85584-2 (board book)
Little Simon, Simon & Schuster, 2003
One spooky night in the fall, Mouse creeps out and hears bats flyingFlit! Flit! Flit!and apples droppingPlop! Plop! Plop!and children singing"TRICK OR...More at HotBookSale
One spooky night in the fall, Mouse creeps out and hears bats flyingFlit! Flit! Flit!and apples droppingPlop! Plop! Plop!and children singing"TRICK OR...More at HotBookSale
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