Week 8:

Mousetronaut VS Knuffle Bunny

Mousetronaut:

Age range: Probably around 4-8 yrs old.

Summary:

Astronaut Mark Kelly flew with “mice-tronauts” on his first spaceflight aboard space shuttle Endeavourin 2001. Mousetronaut tells the story of a small mouse that wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. The little mouse works as hard as the bigger mice to show readiness for the mission . . . and is chosen for the flight! While in space, the astronauts are busy with their mission when disaster strikes—and only the smallest member of the crew can save the day. With lively illustrations by award-winning artist C. F. Payne, Mousetronaut is a charming tale of perseverance, courage, and the importance of the small!

Review:

What child won’t find a mouse going into space fun? Most likely none! Add that with the fact that the mouse is the runt of the litter and has gigantic ears with a fearless attitude, and you’ve got a fun little story. The illustrations are actually done by a well-known illustrator who’s work I used to follow back in my days at Ringing College of Art and Design, so that was kind of a plus as well. All in all though, the book lacked something for me. I’m not sure what it was, but it didn’t have that “it” factor to really make it stand out. It was definitely a good picture book, but not one I’m dying to own.

Knuffle Bunny:

Age range: Probably around 3-6 yrs old.

Summary:

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong.

Review:

This book was made by a legend in the children’s book world, Mo Willems. Even though I’m not a big fan of the black and white photography mixed with the illustrations, I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations truly are amusing, and the writing is brilliantly simple. Enough can’t be said about the art of effective minimal writing found in many succesful children’s books. There’s a reason this guy is a legend. If you’ve got the opportunity, take a moment and read it at your local bookstore. It’s worth it.   

The Winner:

Congratulations to Knuffle Bunny! 

We will see you in November!

We’ll see everyone else next week!