The Subway Mouse
Kindergarten-Grade 2–Nib lives with his family beneath a busy subway station. He loves to listen to stories, especially those about a special but dangerous place called Tunnel's End. A true pack rat, he collects all sorts of objects and lovingly arranges them into a cozy nest. When he returns to find that his cousins have ransacked his home, he decides to leave and go in search of Tunnel's End. Along the way he meets Lola, a female mouse who joins him. When they finally crawl out of the tunnel and into a starlit night, they discover a world that is more dangerous than they expected, but also more beautiful, and make a home together. Although the story is somewhat flat and predictable, Reid's artwork is outstanding. The pictures were made with plasticine that is shaped and pressed onto illustration board; decorated with acrylic paint, found objects, and other materials; and then photographed. The objects (Popsicle sticks, lollipops, candy wrappers, etc.) are used with great creativity. The images are both realistic and clever and have an inviting, three-dimensional appearance. Young children will pore over the details and older children will get ideas to create their own pictures.–Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York CityCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.