A MOUSE TOLD HIS MOTHER

A mouse child, at bedtime, tells his mother that he's going on a trip—to the moon, to dive for pirate treasure, to fly an airplane around the world, to explore a spooky cave, etc. Each exploit is suggested by something he sees around him—the boat in his bathtub, a toy plane, the dark ``cave'' under his bed. Without contradicting him, his mother gently brings him back to earth—and nearer bed—each time by reminding him to take his toothbrush, pack and extra blanket, and ``lights out now.'' In the delightful point- counterpoint between parent and child, Roberts (with Patricia Hubbell, Camel Caravan, 1996) follows the model of Margaret Wise Brown's Runaway Bunny; the parent wins this one, too, when the tired mouse drifts off to sleep with a smile on his face. Children will have fun matching the mouse's adventures with the everyday objects that inspire them. Begin has imagined the domestic details of a mouse's world with winsome humor: twig furniture, an acorn-cap washbasin, a bathtub made from an empty catfood tin; the pictures not only enhance the story, but really make it work. (Picture book. 3-7)