Livingstone Mouse - Softcover

PreSchool-K?A one-joke book with a predictable plot. Livingstone is an explorer, and when his mother decides it's time for her children to leave the nest, he sets out for an exotic locale. His mother's remark that "China is very nice" is initially mysterious, but in fact is the set-up for the eventual punch line. After rejecting a variety of spots (too noisy, smelly, spicy, dangerous, bright) and meeting a number of other creatures, Livingstone finally settles down in a broken teapot in a field where he lives happily ever after. While the illustrations are appealing and the story has some promise, problems with the presentation abound. The intended audience is unlikely to understand either the significance of Livingstone's name or the connection between China and a teapot. Flaws also exist within the illustrations. The faces of both mice and rats seem oddly rounded, more like kangaroos than rodents, while the picture accompanying a rat's description of damage done to his tail by a trap does not adequately reflect the text. Also, it is unclear why a raccoon wanders by, since the initial action takes place indoors. Many other books with similar themes and/or more appealing mice make Edwards and Cole's expedition one that most libraries won't miss.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
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