Mouse's Marriage

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A hunt for the mightiest groom on earth for a mouse bride has surprising but very appropriate results. Ages 2-6. (June)

School Library Journal

PreS An elderly mouse couple decide that their daughter shall marry only the ``best and mightiest husband in the world.'' When they set off in search of him, they encounter the sun, a cloud, the wind, and a wall and finally discover that mice are the mightiest of all, since they can tunnel through walls. Based on an old Japanese folktale, the motif used is a familiar one in the folklore of many other countries. McDermott's The Stonecutter (Viking, 1975) is probably the best-known version of this motif and succeeds much better. The large, full-color paintings nicely display the Japanese countryside and manner of dress, yet the text is sparse to the point of being nonexistent. Forget this one and buy an extra copy of The Stonecutter.Denise Anton, Corn Belt Library System, Normal, Ill.