Charlotte Offsay

This is a read that grabs listeners' attentions, has them giggling, and even will have some joining to 'read' along.

A mouse wanders through the forest and finds something, which inspires to a bit of mischief. What starts out as a rude but isolated incident, takes an unexpected turn...which leads to something even worse. A hilarious chain reaction soon has the entire area of the forest in an uproar until a sudden gesture changes everything.

The little mouse with its backpack seems harmless and cute, at first, so when it suddenly does something slightly mean, it flips the entire atmosphere on its head and rolls right into a delightful, mounting chaos. The animals' surprise and reactions come across wonderfully in the illustrations and guarantee giggles as they helplessly find everything going crazy around them. The illustrator has built in some traits and objects from the 'human' world, making each moment that much more familiar and sillier. Even flipping through the illustrations without the text will bring smiles.

While the illustrative side adds the right humorous twist, the text cleverly plays its own game. It presents the tale to make sure its clear what's happening but creates a light-hearted repetition, which builds with each scene. It invites readers to join in, especially since this is one of those books, which will be getting that ever-loved word 'again'.

Making sure goodness settles in, a heart-warming solution opens the door to friendship with an unexpectedly simple gesture. It brings calming forgiveness and care as it makes sure to settle things back down...but not without leaving off with a last, fun twist.

I do see this one becoming a favorite for some listeners.… (altro)

In rhyming text, a cheery narrator (white, with brown hair in a ponytail, and glasses) guides the reader through the challah-making process with her family (mom, dad, baby, and dog). At the end is Shabbat dinner with special guests Grandma and Grandpa. Back matter includes more information about challah, an author's note, and a recipe ("Challah for a Crowd" - and it is! The recipe makes four large loaves, which can be shared or frozen, or the recipe can be halved). Fun! (Although I do not agree that chocolate chips or sprinkles belong in challah. Our house is #TeamRaisin.)… (altro)