Brave as a Mouse

A modest concept comes alive in Carozzi’s well-paced story of the friendship between a small brown-and-white mouse and a pet goldfish. The pair play well together, Mouse blowing bubbles into the fish’s round bowl, until “three others wanted to play, too”—the shadows of three cats appear chillingly on the wall. What ensues is a dangerous rescue mission, as Mouse attempts to escape the trio, and help its fishy friend flee forever. A spare refrain (“It was a wild idea. It was a bold idea. It was a brave idea. But was it a good idea?”) is divided across several spreads, with the visual action drawing readers’ focus. Visually uncluttered graphite on paper drawings, enhanced digitally, render each scene in realistic detail, the house’s shifting shadows and wafting curtains particularly well-rendered with a generous helping of chiaroscuro. An immersive, elegantly suspenseful animal-focused escapade. Ages 3–7. (May)