A Friend's Tale (Library Mouse #2)

K-Gr 2 "Library Mouse" (Abrams, 2007) introduced shy, library-dwelling Sam, who writes and illustrates books that he leaves for Mrs. Forrester and the children to read. This pleasant sequel features a bashful boy named Tom, who is a member of the Writers and Illustrators Club. He discovers that the mysterious author is a mouse and leaves him treats in an effort to make friends. Sam is able to bypass the cheese and crackers, but when he finds the story Tom wrote, he cannot resist. When the club meets again, Mrs. Forrester finds a new book written by Tom and illustrated by Sam, featuring two friends drawn as mice. When asked to identify his collaborator, Tom keeps his new friend's secret. Kirk's anthropomorphic mouse lives in a realistic-looking library, and his drawings of the librarian and children are incredibly lifelike. Tom's facial expressions and body language aptly convey his shyness and concern about Sam. The illustrations alternate between full-bleed drawings and spotlight cameos, and the perspective changes to show the story from of the points of view of the two main characters. This charming selection deserves a place in most collections."Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.