Joyce Dunbar

Ten little mice make for home in this countdown picture-book from author Joyce Dunbar and illustrator Maria Majewska. Starting out together in a garden, and moving to various other locales over the course of the day - an underground tunnel, a little pool, the sheep pasture - the mice decide, one by one, to seek their cozy nests. By the time night falls, they are comfortably snoozing...

First published in 1990, Ten Little Mice is the first book I have read from Dunbar, but the third, after show more Oscar Mouse Finds a Home and A Friend for Oscar Mouse, from Majewska. I tracked it down, as it happens, because I enjoyed her artwork in those other murine tales. She certainly seems to enjoy depicting mice! This one is a cute little tale, with rhythmic text and beautiful illustrations. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the artist made sure to make each mouse figure distinctive. Recommended to fans of Maria Majewska, and to anyone looking for fun, beautifully-illustrated counting books. show less

An oversize format and the intriguing juxtaposition of large and little make for a fetching picture book from the team behind Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep. Giant Baby Bear stumbles across a thimble-size "something" while playing in the woods one day, and takes the tiny creature home with him. Though the ursine fellow's size frightens the "Very Small," he cheers up when his new friend builds him a playground with a seesaw made from a pencil and spool, and shares his dinner show more (the miniature guest eats "one whole pea and five whole crumbs of bread"). After a bath, the new friends snuggle down for the night until a sneeze from Giant Baby Bear sends Very Small flying serendipitously back to his own parents. Dunbar's catchy, well-paced sentences (the bear's mother "gave a great big grin, showing all her great big teeth"), inspire Gliori's autumn-toned watercolors, which make the most of the contrasting sizes. show less

This book is a cute addition about two friends on a hunt for one of their missing socks. Ending up, the other friend is wearing the missing sock which they find out at the end. The illustrations are very vivid and engaging. Well written, witty, and beautiful.

This would make a good bedtime read. The Very Small is separated from his family and the bear decides to comfort him by taking him home to his own family since he doesn't know where to find the Very Small's family. Though the Very Small is continually homesick, he takes comfort from his bear friend and in the end, through some accidental sneezing, finds his way back to his family again. My only question would be about what happened next for the bear. Surely he would expect to find the Very show more Small in bed when he woke up the next morning. After all the bear went through to comfort the Very Small, having him disappear without so much as a goodbye would have to take an emotional toll. Poor bear. Good book though. show less