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Author Frank Asch and illustrator Devin Asch are together again to bring young readers a new fantastical picture book.
Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice (Kids Can Press, ISBN: 1-55453-022-9) is a picture book written for children ages 5 to 9, but the stunning illustrations and story can be enjoyed by anyone, both young and old. Meet Mrs. Marlowe and Her Family of MiceMrs. Marlowe is no ordinary cat. During the day she works as a librarian, but at night she comes home to an apartment full of cute, little mice. What is Mrs. Marlowe, a cat, doing with mice in her apartment? The mice have no place to go and have taken refuge in Mrs. Marlowe’s apartment. There are grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and little children mice, all of them related and all happy to have a safe home with Mrs. Marlowe. A young widow cat, Mrs. Marlowe lives next to the nosiest neighbors. One neighbor in particular suspects that Mrs. Marlowe is harboring the little rodents and makes a report to Catland Security. When two stern looking men knock on Mrs. Marlowe’s door, the mice scatter. Mrs. Marlowe has drilled the little mice over and over about what to do if anyone comes to search her apartment. Mrs. Marlowe lets the two cats from Catland Security into her apartment and they begin to search through her belongings. The two question Mrs. Marlowe about the cheese cubes on her kitchen table, but she pulls down a box of crackers and makes them some hors d’oeuvres. They find little knit sweaters, but Mrs. Marlowe tells them the little clothing is for her niece’s china doll. After the search and questioning, the men cats find nothing suspicious and turn to leave, but just as they start to walk out the door they hear a tiny scratch. A mouse! Quick as lightening, Mrs. Marlowe scoops up the wayward mouse and holds it over her gaping mouth. Will Mrs. Marlowe eat the mouse? Was she planning on gobbling each mouse up, one by one, all along? Or is this a trick? An Exciting StoryFor people who cringe at stories about warring cats and mice, Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice is a sigh of relief. Mrs. Marlowe’s friendship with the mouse family and her motherly concern for their wellbeing is touching. The illustrations grabs hold of the reader and listener with its antique look and cats that almost look real. Each page is a delight to the eyes. This is a great book for reading out loud to groups of children and is a lovely book for gift giving.
The copyright of the article Mrs. Marlowe's Mice in Picture Books is owned by Elizabeth Yetter. Permission to republish Mrs. Marlowe's Mice in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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