MOUSIE LOVE

A lovesick mousie woos his sweetheart in this twist on the proverbial cat-and-mouse game. When the cat chases Tully under the pantry door, he sees Frill in the flour bin and instantly falls in love. He immediately proposes, but before she can reply, the cat chases them under the kitchen stove, which becomes their warm, cozy home. As Tully and Frill dream of their future, Tully repeats his proposal, but Frill never has a chance to reply, with the cat always on their heels. Finally, one starry night, the cat has a small accident and Frill gives Tully her answer. Masse’s bright, cheerful acrylic-and-gel illustrations complement the text with close-ups of the smitten Tully in his jaunty troubadour pants and jacket courting a demure Frill in her flouncy skirt on the pantry shelf, under the kitchen stove and on the rooftop beneath the stars. Courtship vignettes alternate with humorous, action-packed chase scenes from a mouse-eye perspective. Mousie love triumphs through adversity in this fetching little romance. (Picture book. 3-8)