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Overview
Mouse and Mole are very excited. Minkus the Magnificent is in town—ONE SHOW ONLY!—and they can’t wait to sit in the front row and see his tricks. After the abracadabras happen, though, something goes a bit wrong—and Mole is very disappointed to discover that magic is sometimes not exactly what it seems. How will Mouse help her friend realize that there is magic happening right in front of their very eyes? Wong Herbert Yee gives readers another grand adventure with two best friends, Mouse and Mole, who, despite their different outlooks on life, manage to show each other that friendship itself is a magical event!
Synopsis
Mouse and Mole are very excited. Minkus the Magnificent is in town - ONE SHOW ONLY! - and they can t wait to sit in the front row and see his tricks. After the abracadabras happen, though, something goes a bit wrong - and Mole is very disappointed to discover that magic is sometimes not exactly what it seems. How will Mouse help her friend realize that there is magic happening right in front of their very eyes? Wong Herbert Yee gives readers another grand adventure with two best friends, Mouse and Mole, who, despite their different outlooks on life, manage to show each other that friendship itself is a magical event!
Children's Literature
Excitedly arriving at Mouse's house, Mole is ready to go to the magic show with his friend. The pair have tickets for front row seats at Minkus the Magnificent's outdoor performance. The magician selects Mouse to assist in the magic act involving cloths. Mole happily volunteers to help Minkus with the card trick. During the finale, a white rabbit appears from the magic hat, tumbling out and knocking over the table. In the process, all of the magician's trade secrets are revealed. Mole is upset by the trickery of magic when he finds out he was duped. The next day, Mouse finds Mole still sulking. To cheer up her friend, Mouse shows Mole the true and real magic that exists in the world around them. This book is the second story about the two friends whose friendship is much like that of Arnold Lobel's "Frog and Toad." Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Frequent, small frames resembling comic-book cells are sprinkled among the full-page illustrations, pulling the reader forward. Warm nighttime charcoal-and-gouache hues make the magic of Mouse's natural world warm and inviting to new readers." Kirkus, 9/15/07 Kirkus Reviews"The plentiful charcoal pencil-and-gouche illustrations...imbue the moonlit nighttime scenes with appropriate mystery and wonder...[With] a grand finale sure to satisfy the audience." The Horn Book, Nov/Dec 2007 Horn Book
"[T]he artwork nicely reinforces the story's action, the closeness between friends, and shared wonder in nature's magic." Booklist 11/2007 Booklist, ALA
"Yee portrays Mole's vulnerability and Mouse's pragmatism with great sensitivity and humor." SLJ Jan 2007, School Library Journal, Starred review
Children's Literature -
Excitedly arriving at Mouse's house, Mole is ready to go to the magic show with his friend. The pair have tickets for front row seats at Minkus the Magnificent's outdoor performance. The magician selects Mouse to assist in the magic act involving cloths. Mole happily volunteers to help Minkus with the card trick. During the finale, a white rabbit appears from the magic hat, tumbling out and knocking over the table. In the process, all of the magician's trade secrets are revealed. Mole is upset by the trickery of magic when he finds out he was duped. The next day, Mouse finds Mole still sulking. To cheer up her friend, Mouse shows Mole the true and real magic that exists in the world around them. This book is the second story about the two friends whose friendship is much like that of Arnold Lobel's "Frog and Toad." Reviewer: Carrie Hane HungSchool Library Journal
K-Gr 3
In this second chapter book about best friends Mouse and Mole, Mole is excited because Minkus the Magnificent is coming to town. The show is marvelous at first, but disappointing in the end when a table collapses and the audience realizes that the magic is really trickery. He is depressed: "There is NO such thing as magic! " Then Mouse summons him to a midnight show featuring fireflies, mimosa plants, and the full moon. Reassured that magic is all around, he falls asleep beneath the moon and stars, next to her. Yee portrays Mole's vulnerability and Mouse's pragmatism with great sensitivity and humor (and a refreshing reversal of traditional gender roles). The attractive layouts interweave small, bright charcoal-and-gouache illustrations with the clear, large type of the text. In one scene, Mouse is shown mulling over what to wear: a dress with yellow polka dots on purple, or one with red-and-white stripes, or another with a moon-and-stars motif. Throughout, Mole looks comfortable in his chartreuse shirt and orange pants. These two are a lovely addition to the pantheon of easy-reader pals.-Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, GA