K-Gr 3-In this second chapter book about best friends Mouse and Mole, Mole is excited because Minkus the Magnificent is coming to town. The show is marvelous at first, but disappointing in the end when a table collapses and the audience realizes that the magic is really trickery. He is depressed: "There is NO such thing as magic!" Then Mouse summons him to a midnight show featuring fireflies, mimosa plants, and the full moon. Reassured that magic is all around, he falls asleep beneath the moon and stars, next to her. Yee portrays Mole's vulnerability and Mouse's pragmatism with great sensitivity and humor (and a refreshing reversal of traditional gender roles). The attractive layouts interweave small, bright charcoal-and-gouache illustrations with the clear, large type of the text. In one scene, Mouse is shown mulling over what to wear: a dress with yellow polka dots on purple, or one with red-and-white stripes, or another with a moon-and-stars motif. Throughout, Mole looks comfortable in his chartreuse shirt and orange pants. These two are a lovely addition to the pantheon of easy-reader pals.-Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, GA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Magic, both manufactured and real, is the subject of this sequel to Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole (2005) for emerging readers. In the first of four episodes, friends Mole and Mouse eagerly attend a magic show in the woods performed by Minkus the Magnificent. In the following chapters, the secrets behind Minkus' tricks are revealed, and Mole, who is "mad about magic," feels angry and sad and wonders if magic exists at all. Mouse helps him recognize the magic all around, from tadpoles that turn into frogs to the magnificent full moon. Printed in large type that is set against spacious white backgrounds, the short, simple sentences feature a few exciting vocabulary builders, including a great selection of action verbs. Some children may puzzle over the specifics of Minkus' tricks, which aren't always clearly illustrated in the color drawings. Otherwise, though, the artwork nicely reinforces the story's action, the closeness between friends, and shared wonder in nature's magic.

Mouse and Mole, friends who could be buddies with Frog and Toad, are back in this four-chapter book for new readers. Mole is simply mad about magic and is thrilled to have tickets to a traveling magic show. Mouse, once she chooses the right moon-and-star dress for such an occasion, is almost as excited as Mole. But when Mole discovers that the magic is just a trick, his disillusionment nearly overwhelms him. Mouse, ever philosophical, comes up with some real magic that brings Mole happiness. Frequent, small frames resembling comic-book cells are sprinkled among the full-page illustrations, pulling the reader forward. Warm nighttime charcoal-and-gouache hues make the magic of Mouse's natural world warm and inviting to new readers. Perhaps they, too, will look for the magic that is around them everyday, beneath the moon and stars. (Picture book. 5-9)