The Barking Mouse
Kindergarten-Grade 2-This retelling of a Cuban folktale moves slowly as a mouse family on a picnic has an encounter with an orange tabby cat. Also, the title reveals the twist at the end, wherein Mam  proves herself the more useful parent when she frightens the cat away. The story is preceded by a glossary of 14 Spanish words and phrases. Simple sentences and amusing characterizations may engage some children, but many will be put off by the mouse parents' obsession with "smooching." Aguirre's freshly hued acrylic pictures feature flat cartoon profiles and a variety of composition styles.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.