A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE!
by Gerda Wagener & translated by Rosemary Lanning & illustrated by Uli Waas
From the author of Leo the Lion (1991), a high-spirited addition to the Easy-to-Read series, accompanied by expressive watercolors. Socks the cat brings a mouse in from the garden with the clear intention to eat it, but drops it when Mother throws a cushion at him. Suddenly, the mouse has the run of the house, and narrator, Julia, and her siblings are delighted. The youngest, Katie, names it Lisa; while Mother sets up a trap, the children secretly leave salami and chocolate snacks for the mouse in every room. Lisa's nibbling and droppings become a nuisance; in the end they trap her safely and let her go in the woods. The story races along, slightly more difficult than most entries in the series and providing novice readers with a real sense of accomplishment when they've turned the last page. The details of dialogue and action bring each character to life, including Socks and Lisa. The scenes have a domestic warmth, juxtaposing the children's exuberance with Mother's exasperation in a way that is both authentic and gently humorous. (Fiction. 7-9)