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Mouse Mess
by Linnea Riley
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A humorous cut-paper tale about an endearing and energetic little mouse follows his hungry, chaos-ensuing journey through the kitchen, where he enjoys such fare as crumbly cookies and crunchy cornflakes.

SLJ Reviews 1997 November

PreS-Gr 1 A mischievous mouse makes a midnight snack. He pours crackers onto the counter; rakes corn flakes into a pile with a fork and jumps right in; samples cheese, milk, and a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich; builds a sand castle out of brown sugar; and pops the tops off of olive, pickle, and catsup bottles. Finally, he pauses and looks around: "`Who made this awful mess?' asks Mouse./`These people need to clean their house!'" After a refreshing soak in a teacup, the satisfied rodent tucks a cracker under his arm and heads for bed. Cut-paper collages, set against black backgrounds, depict a chubby-cheeked mouse spilling, cutting, and eating a variety of colorful foods. The large, bold shapes will be easy to view during storytime, but the artwork also includes careful details and textures that will interest those taking a closer look. The rhyming text, filled with crunching and munching sounds, is rhythmic and fun to read aloud. With its personable protagonist and lighthearted tone, Mouse Mess makes a fine counterpoint to Denise Fleming's Lunch (Holt, 1992). Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright 1998 School Library Journal Reviews