THE VERY NOISY NIGHT

From Hendry (Kid Kibble, 1994, etc.) comes a sweetly beguiling tale of two mice. Fretful Little Mouse shares a room with Big Mouse. During the wee hours, Little Mouse listens to the night sounds—the howling of wind, hooting of an owl, tapping of branches—fearfully imagining intruders, ghosts, and others. Each time, the long-suffering Big Mouse climbs out of his comfortable bed to show Little Mouse the mundane source of the alarming sound. He draws the line at letting his timid friend into bed for a variety of reasons: wiggling, cold paws, etc. However, when confronted with Little Mouse’s loneliness, Big Mouse readily allows him to hop into bed. Hendry’s depiction of a young child’s fears ring true while Big Mouse’s patient explanations assuage anxieties, providing a forum through which children can safely explore their nighttime jitters. Chapman’s gaily colored illustrations set imaginations soaring as readers discover the myriad uses a mouse has for household scraps. (Picture book. 3-7)