Mouse's First Night at Moonlight School

Reviewed by: Carla McAllister - New Gloucester Public Library, New Gloucester, Maine, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 2, 2016

Review

Nocturnal animals Bat, Cat, Owl and Mouse are due for their first night of Moonlight School, but Mouse is painfully shy and arrives early so that she can hide away from the other students and the teacher, a friendly little witch called Miss Moon. She is coaxed out by the teacher because she must obey her mother's insistence that she behave. Miss Moon manages to find a way to help Mouse overcome her shyness by showing the class something Mouse is really good at, which is hiding! The illustrations are busy, full of wonderful items for little ones to wonder at: Lots of books about spells and the like, jars of toes of frogs and eyes of newts, a bunch of magic wands, and a goldfish bowl containing two smiling fish. The illustrations are magical. The endpapers are exceptional featuring a huge full moon, fireflies, stars, and colorful plantings depicting the magic of the nighttime landscape. This is a good choice to help youngsters who are shy a little less so and to see that others will be friendly to them if they make an effort.

Overall Book Score: very good