Mouse | Children's Books Heal

Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter

Jamie Michalak, Author

Kelly Murphy, Illustrator

Candlewick Press, Fiction, Jun. 23, 2021

Suitable for ages: 3-7

Themes: Animals, Mouse, Adventure, Art, Museum

Opening: “In the Great, Big City, / in the great big museum, / a clock tick-tocks past midnight. / Doors are locked. / Guards keep watch. / All is still, until…”

Synopsis:

In the dark of night, in the big museum, a tiny creature emerges from the shadows. Who is this mouse of mystery? It’s Dakota Crumb, scurrying through the great halls, hunting for treasure with a map in and sack in hand. Hundreds of eyes peer from paintings and follow this mouse as she searches for a famous priceless treasure, that is hidden somewhere in the museum and is marked with an X on her map.

Along the way she spots other treasures left behind by daytime’s human visitors and Dakota pops them in her sack. Will this be the night she will finally find the purple jewel of Egypt she’s been searching for? The sun is rising and off she scampers into her mouse home. And what a home it is!

Why I like this story:

What a delightful and entertaining picture book that will remind readers of the “Night in the Museum” theme. Children will love the suspense of what is lurking around each gallery corner, as Dakota makes her way past exhibits of knights in armor, frozen statues, stuffed animals, pyramids and mummies.

Readers will enjoy guessing just what she does with all the hidden treasures in her mouse hole. Such a clever story with beautiful double-page illustrations that support her nightly journey. Kelly Murphy’s eye-popping art really gives the reader a sense of drama and movement as Dakota scampers about. At the end of the story, readers will get a peek at Dakota’s list of treasures and can go on their own seek-and-find hunt looking for a lot of the treasures on her list. This is a perfect read aloud.

Resources: Kids will have fun searching for all of the hidden items in the book on Dakota’s list. Parents can help them invent their own rainy-day treasure inside the house or outside. I use to hide items with clues that kids can follow to find the treasures in our yard. A nature theme would be fun for outside.

Jamie Michalak is the author of numerous books for children, including the Joe and Sparky series, and Frank and Bean. Jamie lives in the smallest state, Rhode Island.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat

Deborah Underwood, Author

Claudia Rueda, Illustrator

Dial Books for Young Readers, Fiction, May 19, 2015

Suitable for Ages: 3-7

Themes: Cat, Mouse, Tooth fairy

Opening: Cat! You lost a tooth! Did the Tooth Fairy come?

Synopsis: Cat has lost a tooth and the Tooth Fairy has left behind a coin. Cat is disappointed because he wanted to meet her. Cat devises a plan to trick the Tooth Fairy with the tooth of a comb. The Tooth Fairy doesn’t fall for Cat’s scheme, but sends a costume, a trickster mouse and a note that suggests “if you help me with a few deliveries, maybe we can meet.” Cat and Mouse head off with deliveries to a gopher, a squirrel and a bear. As the stakes rise, so does the humor. The story concludes with an unexpected surprise for Cat.

What I like about this book:

What a hoot! Deborah Underwood has written another playful and clever story about the antics of Cat, this time as the Tooth Fairy Cat. Underwood assumes the role of narrator and commentator for Cat and Mouse. The story is character driven and focuses entirely upon Cat and Mouse. The text is spare with minimal illustrations and great use of white space. The words and illustration depend upon one another. Readers will focus on the hilarious facial expressions, the naughty behavior, the impish body language, and the playfulness of Cat and Mouse as they try to outsmart the Tooth Fairy. This is a great example where Claudia Rueda’s colored-pencil and ink illustrations really tell the story, much to the delight of the many fans of this series. The author and illustrator team up to produce another winning book for children.

Resources: Losing a tooth is a rite of passage for young children. Encourage your child to write a letter to the Tooth Fairy. Check out this pinterest page about making Tooth Fairy pillows and other activities. Since this is a story about a cat losing a tooth, do other young animals lose baby teeth? How many teeth do cats, dogs, turtles, cows, horses and elephants have compared to children? And how do they use their teeth?

Deborah Underwood is the New York Times bestselling author of Here Comes the Easter Cat, as well as Here Comes Santa Cat, The Quiet Book and Bad Bye, Good Bye. Bella the cat lives with the author. Visit Deborah Underwood at her website.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.