School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Captain Oliver, weather-wise pirate mouse, and his agreeable wife, Rosie, are blown off course and must scuttle their plans to steal grain. When they decide to drop anchor and grow their own, the nearby villagers are concerned about the pirates' proximity. When another storm blows in, the ship saves the tiny villagers from certain death, and the newcomers become friends with the locals. Krupinski's "city mouse/country mouse" story is brought to life via paintings rich in detail and color, with charmingly dressed mice as the main characters. However, there is an agricultural problem with the illustrations: on one page, the text says the mice are trying to keep crows and rabbits out of their corn, but they are shown in a field of mature wheat. Still, this gentle story of community and friendship, combined with Oliver's weather folklore, will find an audience.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Weather-related proverbs weave through this tale of two mouse pirates, Captain Oliver and mate Rosie. Blown ashore in a storm, the duo decides to try farming while repairing their ship. Each page offers another opportunity for adages, some familiar ("Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning"), others less so ("No weather is ill if the wind be still"). At times, the narrative droops under the burden of so much salty wisdom. But the artwork may well attract youngsters. Borders of golden rope, at times elaborately knotted, frame detailed gouache illustrations teeming with finely wrought botanical observations: mushrooms, insects, wheat stalks, and more. The artwork exudes a cozy aura: in the ship's berth, for instance, Rosie wears a flannel nightdress and pours tea from a flowery ceramic pot; a treasure chest rests on the counter beside a seashell collection. Likewise, the village store contains baskets, housewares and a barrel of acorns. The residents of Mousam Village, dressed in 19th-century garb (with holes in the pants for their tails), laugh at Oliver's pirate outfit and sailor-speak. A new storm brings a crisis to the island, and an opportunity for the pirates to reexamine their priorities ("The real treasure in life is not found in gold or grain, but in our friends," he concludes). Ages 4-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
