Charlie & Mouse Even Better

March 15, 2019
"Mom is the best!"--and her birthday is just around the corner.In four short chapters, Charlie and Mouse repeatedly one-up themselves as they arrive at better and even better ideas. The early reader opens on a familiar scene in which Mom makes pancakes for the kids. Charlie and Mouse enthusiastically offer suggestions for improvements on the pancakes, until Mom's expression turns from cheer to exasperation and her humor becomes blunt. In the following sagas, the siblings shop for gifts, prepare decorations while Dad burns the cake, and split up to distract Mom just long enough for a backup special surprise. The standout second chapter captures the comical banter as the children consider what gifts Mom would like with the money they have to spend. They mull over buying her a box they would promise never to peek in but, knowing that they "like to snoop," reject the idea in favor of a more practical one. Though previous titles in this series have identified the children as male, they are not referred to by any gendered pronouns and nothing about their illustrated appearance codes them as overtly masculine or feminine. They do appear to be biracial, with a white mom and Asian dad.An affectionate and quirky offering, spot-on for beginning independent readers. (Early reader. 6-9)

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May 31, 2019

K-Gr 2-This third installment in the early reader series is as droll and true to life as its predecessors. The book is comprised of four chapters, each of which is a short episode in the lives of brothers Charlie and Mouse. They help their mom make shape pancakes, shop for her birthday present, "help" their dad in the way of all preschoolers, and finally work together to fix a problem and celebrate their family. VERDICT A recommended first purchase for newly independent readers.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2019
This third Charlie & Mouse picture book/easy reader hybrid (Charlie & Mouse, rev. 7/17; Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy, rev. 11/17) shines the spotlight on Mom's approaching birthday. The first chapter sets the scene, with the siblings helping her make pancakes. A glance at the calendar at the start of chapter two reminds Dad of Mom's special day, and he and the kids go shopping for the perfect present ( Does Mom like tape? Everyone likes tape ). Back home, party preparations humorously go awry?think burnt cake and floor-strewn glitter. But with some quick thinking by Charlie, who was paying attention to how to make pancakes, and with Mouse at maximum cuteness to distract Mom, the surprise party happily comes to fruition. Hughes's graphite and Photoshop illustrations convey lots of affection for this relatable family, including its everyday harried moments. (The kids regarding their mother's attempt at a dragon-shaped pancake: It does not look like a dragon. Mom: It is a dragon that annoyed its mother. ) The brief, easy-to-read chapters and child-friendly perspective continue the appeal for Charlie & Mouse fans. elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
This third Charlie & Mouse book spotlights Mom's approaching birthday. Over four chapters, the siblings "help" Mom make pancakes, Dad takes the kids shopping for the perfect present ("Does Mom like tape?" "Everyone likes tape"), and party preparations humorously go awry before the surprise happily comes to fruition. Hughes's graphite and Photoshop illustrations convey lots of affection for this relatable family, including its everyday harried moments.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)