SANTA MOUSE BAKES CHRISTMAS COOKIES
From the Santa Mouse series
by Michael Brown ; illustrated by Robert McPhillips
Santa Mouse prepares cookies for St. Nick and the reindeer team.
Ordinarily, mice might be an unwelcome sight in a kitchen, but in his tiny suit, Santa Mouse makes a wonderful seasonal chef, baking holiday treats with the help of the elves. This tale, told in rhyming couplets, shows Santa Mouse stirring up the batter, making cookies in various shapes, and adding icing and sprinkles. Santa Claus is pleased with the snacks—Santa Mouse has even remembered to make some for the reindeer. The titular critter is irresistible, with a faux beard and striped mittens. The elves’ kitchen is something plucked straight from a child’s imagination, endearingly too large for the little helpers and even bigger compared with the tiny mouse. There are also some delicious details, like Santa Mouse’s sardine-can bed, his thimblelike sprinkle shaker, and the timer on the table set exactly to the 30 minutes described in the text. The story is well matched to the board-book format. The simple plot is easy for toddlers to follow, with read-aloud–friendly rhymes and lovely, engaging illustrations. Santa presents as White, while the elves vary in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet holiday tale perfect for little readers.
(Board book. 2-4)