PIP SQUEAK

Weeks and Manning team up for a second successful easy reader starring Pip Squeak the mouse, this time joined by his friend Max, a messy and nmisbehaving fox. In short, rhyming text, Weeks follows Pip Squeak as he cleans his entire house in preparation for a tea-time visit, with added humor from lots of repeating cleaning sounds. When the boisterous fox arrives, he tracks in mud, bounces on the bed, knocks over furniture and literally swings from the chandelier, making Pip Squeak both sad and mad. Max finally does clean up his own messes and sits still for a cup of tea, setting up the concluding line that Pip Squeak would prefer to visit Max at his house next time. Busy, action-filled illustrations in bright hues incorporate the text into softly shaded sections of the art for a pleasing design that seamlessly integrates words and pictures. Children who are just beginning to read on their own will enjoy this easy and humorous story, which could also serve as a read-aloud for younger preschoolers. (Easy reader. 4-6)