VIOLET AND JOBIE IN THE WILD

Can losing the life they knew turn out well for a pair of mice?

When mouse siblings Violet and Jobie are trapped and rehomed from their comfortable human habitat to the state park (“It’s like paradise for them,” says the human mom, reassuring her son), they are completely out of their element. The pair are slightly acquainted with the outside world, having seen some episodes of Nature Magnificent when the human family watched television. Fortunately, older, wiser mouse Zolian offers key advice and expands their appreciation of the wild world with a sense of fun. Newly aware of dangers they had never before faced, Violet is overwhelmed until Zolian offers some perspective: “There’s always an owl,” he says, “but there are ways to live so that you’re not always afraid of the owl.” As with all good survival stories, the mice learn by trial and error and by paying attention to their environment. There’s the sourcing of food, recognizing dangers, and beginning to find connection and pleasure in what is now home. Perkins handles her unique blend of mouseness and anthropomorphism well, occasionally addressing readers with humor. Her art throughout is filled with lighthearted depictions of expressive mice. By the time Violet is carried off on an adventure all her own, the gentle lesson and expectation have been conveyed: Change is the norm, going “home” is an internal rather than external journey, and cherished connections may be impermanent yet nevertheless lasting.

A marvelous heroic journey in miniature.