Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts
Publisher: Macmillan
Little Mouse is back in this follow up to Emily Gravett's much-loved Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, which like its predecessor is perfect for helping to reassure nervous children, taking a light-hearted and humorous approach to the subjects of fear and anxiety.
In this picture book, Little Mouse encounters a book about frightening and ferocious beasts. As he travels through the pages, he makes a few changes with his paint-box, to make the book a little bit less scary. So, a fierce lion's claws are disguised with a pair of 'pretty mittens', a dangerous jellyfish is replaced with a tasty 'jelly dish' (complete with the slogan 'it's very very nice for mice'); a crab's sharp pincers are carefully tied up with string; and an angry rhino's hooves are covered up with an elegant pair of dainty high heels.
Young readers will love following Little Mouse on his journey through the delicately 'nibbled' pages of this beautifully-produced and innovative book. There are flaps to lift, holes to peep through and amusing annotations to spot on every page, as well as some inventive extras like an origami mouse to make. Look out for lots of fun details, such as the endpapers which are different at the front and at the back of the book. Characterised by Gravett's trademark wit, humour and imagination, this is a special book that will charm parents and children alike: the amazing final page in which the mouse itself is transformed into a fearsome beast offers an especially entertaining final twist.