Ellen Stoll Walsh

Yet another picture book fresh and clever enough to charm adults. Three white mice experiment with paint in this delightful book with an unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful book about acceptance. I love the idea of an alligator who thinks he is a flamingo and I love the way the flamingos fully accept him as he is. At the end of the story the flamingos acknowledge that they have known Pete is different all along but they fully accepted him long ago. His differences seem inconsequential to them, never raising the issue themselves but providing comforting (amusing!) explanations when Pete becomes aware his differences. The flamingos just want show more to get on with playing.
Oh, if only people could be like this!
This simple book is truly a gem. show less

Samantha is a little mouse with a big, rambunctious family. Her siblings are always playing rough, and poor Samantha can't quite keep up. She wishes she had a fairy godmother to protect her, and suddenly one appears. Her fairy godmother keeps her safe, and Samantha watches from a distant as her siblings play. One day, Samantha has such a strong urge to play in the snow with her siblings that she tells her fairy godmother to go away. Her fairy godmother vanishes, and Samantha continues to show more play until she suddenly realizes that she's really gone. When Samantha finds fairy godmother, she tells her that she doesn't want her to go away forever, but maybe it's time for her to do things on her own. Fairy godmother agrees, and continues to watch over Samantha, but now from a distance.

Ellen Stoll Walsh uses many adjectives in her writing to give the reader a clear image of what she is describing. Another purpose of this could be to broaden the reader's vocabulary. Walsh also varies her sentence structure throughout the book. This helps the story flow, while also keeping it engaging. Sticking with the fairy tale style of her story, Walsh ends the book with a form of "happily ever after." show less

One day three white mice discover three jars of paint--red, blue, and yellow. Both parents and children alike will appreciate this lighthearted presentation of a lesson in color. “Walsh’s cut-paper collage illustrations have bold colors and just the right simplicity for the storyline. A real charmer that’s great fun as well as informative.”--School Library Journal