An outspoken mouse toddler makes a lively debut in a pair of books about his everyday adventures. Miko is early to rise in "Mom, Wake Up and Play
!" Bright-eyed and full of energy, he must amuse himself as he waits for Mom's alarm to go off. He tumbles on the rug and "even trie[s] to figure out which finger was best for picking his nose," but still he must wait. Finally, Miko dives into a crafty project to surprise his mother. In No Bath! No Way!
the messy hero refuses to wash up—and with good reason: "Today was perfect," he says. "I don't want it to be over!" Miko caught two balls and had "the best ice cream ever" and he can't bear to lose the grassy stains that act as badges of honor. So Mom suggests that he sleep on the floor, but his itchy clothes get the best of him, and he realizes he can have just as much fun tomorrow. Weninger (the Davy series) endows the tyke with plenty of precocious toddler logic, and Roehe's (That's Not Fair!
) illustrations reflect the hero's imagination and playfulness. (In the first book, he lays figurines out in an ocean of blankets, noting, "It's too bad that Mom wants to sleep, because she loves to play with my toys as much as I do.") Miko seems well-equipped to charm beginning readers and their parents. Two more Miko titles release this spring: "It Was Me, Mom!"
(0-698-40014-3
; Apr.)
; Double Birthday!
(0-698-40015-1
; May)
. Ages 2-up. (Mar.)
