Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Mine! Or is it?For blue mouse and orange mouse, sharing does not come naturally. The turf war begins with a huge rock—or what appears to be a rock—then progresses to a hunk of cheese, a wrapped present, a pile of rocks, and more. For the majority of this graphically simple picture book, done in a palette Mack limits to black, white, blue, gray, and orange, the gutter separates the mice as they compete to own the biggest and most. When they do appear on the same page, one is usually preparing to inflict damage on the other. At the climax, the two appear on facing pages, fists up, fighting mad, and the stark separation between the orange on the left page and the blue on the right foreshadows a grand battle. Only a force of nature neither of them anticipates brings a change of heart. The perfect parable for kids who just can't share, this story also pokes fun at excess and competition over stuff. Given the gender-neutrality of both mice, readers of any gender can see bits of themselves in these hotheaded mice. True to the book's message, "MINE" is the only word that appears in it, and the color of the word always matches that of the speaking mouse. A behavioral window for some, a mirror for many, and a delightful book for all. (Picture book. 3-6)

ALA Booklist (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Two mice. One rock. Only one word: MINE! The blue mouse shouts it in blue text on the summit of the big rock, holding a flag like Sir Edmund Hillary. The disgruntled orange mouse down below entices him off the rock with a smelly piece of Swiss cheese on the end of a fishing pole. Crash, bang ue mouse falls on his nose, and orange mouse grabs the flag, takes possession, and screams "MINE!" in orange text. The two pugilists make increasing demands for sole possession. In the surprising denouement, the gray "rock" is really a turtle's shell; with a loud "MINE!" he wanders off. Fighting over? Not so. Now the two mice eye the one remaining piece of Swiss cheese. This humorous portrayal of the difficulties of sharing will resonate, as even the youngest children will be able to "read" the story's one repeating word. The accessible art, popping characters, and generous white space combine with simple line drawings and bright colors, making for a fun read-aloud.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Two quarrelsome mice--one orange, one blue--use increasingly dramatic strategies to lay claim to a large gray rock. Mack's clever story includes only the titular word spoken repeatedly (color-coded to indicate the speaker) as mixed-media illustrations with a minimalist color palette highlight the action. In a humorous twist, the disgruntled rock itself--a rather unlikely-looking turtle--gets the last word.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Mine! Or is it?For blue mouse and orange mouse, sharing does not come naturally. The turf war begins with a huge rock—or what appears to be a rock—then progresses to a hunk of cheese, a wrapped present, a pile of rocks, and more. For the majority of this graphically simple picture book, done in a palette Mack limits to black, white, blue, gray, and orange, the gutter separates the mice as they compete to own the biggest and most. When they do appear on the same page, one is usually preparing to inflict damage on the other. At the climax, the two appear on facing pages, fists up, fighting mad, and the stark separation between the orange on the left page and the blue on the right foreshadows a grand battle. Only a force of nature neither of them anticipates brings a change of heart. The perfect parable for kids who just can't share, this story also pokes fun at excess and competition over stuff. Given the gender-neutrality of both mice, readers of any gender can see bits of themselves in these hotheaded mice. True to the book's message, "MINE" is the only word that appears in it, and the color of the word always matches that of the speaking mouse. A behavioral window for some, a mirror for many, and a delightful book for all. (Picture book. 3-6)

School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 1Using just one word and two forms of punctuation, Mack presents a clever story about two mice who both lay claim to what seems to be a very large rock. The pen-and-ink drawings feature brightly colored, cartoonlike pops of yellow, orange, and blue, and both mice exhibit a wide array of emotions in their ridiculous attempts to claim the rock. Happiness, sadness, surprise, and anger follow silly tricks, enticements, and distractions. When the rock turns out to be more than just a rock, both the characters and readers are challenged to consider the concepts of possession, sharing, and ownership. Though minimalist in humor and illustration, this picture book is conceptually rich and a whole lot of fun. VERDICT Mack provides a comical foundation for a discussion or storytime about sharing and possessiveness. A playful, worthy addition to public and school libraries.Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ