Mr. Mosquito Put on His Tuxedo
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Dapper Mr. Mosquito dons his tuxedo and heads to the insect-only royal ball. There he meets the Queen Bee, dances with a wasp, declines the offer of a comb by a group of lice, chats with some bedbugs, and, at the bar, has some punch and "chilled blood over ice." Suddenly the good time is interrupted by fearsome footsteps that turn out to belong to a bear. Mr. Mosquito saves the day by calling up mosquitoes from far and near, and they use their skill to swarm and chase the intruder away. As the ball's hero, Mr. Mosquito is dubbed the Royal Pest by the Queen. The abundant and rhyming text is only half of this story; the illustrations tell the rest. Using lush colors befitting a royal ball and excellent attention to detail, Goembel brings this idiosyncratic tale to life. The realistic insects wear top hats and elaborate gowns with full accessories, effectively making them less creepy and more anthropomorphic. The final spread is an extremely wide shot that reveals the ball's location to be at the tent of two sleeping boys. This surprise alters one's perceptions of the danger from the bear and of the ball itself. A quirky story that could easily entertain and/or creep out readers.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.