Mouse and Mole

(c. 1993)

We've made some new friends here at my house, friends whom the kids absolutely adore.  And if it was possible, they'd invite them over for a snack and play date.  Would you like to meet them too?  Think of Mouse as a phlegmatic personality: rational, steady, kind, laid-back, and content.  Now contrast him with Mole . . . ah, how to describe Mole.  Well, he needs coddling.  He's not the brightest bulb in the package.  But he's endearing.  And it's Mole's personality that drives the light humor in the Mouse and Mole tales, the delightful creation of author Joyce Dunbar and illustrator James Mayhew.

(c. 1996)

The illustrations first won over the Mister and the Missus, and now we find ourselves saying to each other "Hello, Daffodil!" or "Meet Humphrey Stick."  Yes, the illustrations made us stick around to hear the stories and to discover the illustrator: none other than James Mayhew, already a household favorite.  You see, we first stumbled on Mouse and Mole courtesy of our dear friends Rich and Lori and the DVD they gave us.  The only other time I've recommend that you check out or purchase a DVD was Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit series.  So that should tell you something about the quality of this set of vignettes.  Since each story is brief, you don't have to read (or watch) the entire book (or DVD) in one sitting, which makes for a wonderful bedtime collection and a wonderful collection for a maturing reader.  And, my personal favorite, each vignette depicts a particular season, so when you've completed the whole series, you've experienced a spring, summer, autumn, and winter Mouse and Mole.

(c. 1993)

I especially think that this review from Practical Parenting expresses the our affinity for Mouse and Mole: "Warm and witty illustrations . . . perfect to snuggle up with on a chilly afternoon."

(c. 1996)

I also like the subtle character development in the Mouse and Mole series.  Just read it!  And you'll find yourself chuckling not only with the storyline but with the images they create.  We all know a Mouse.  And we all know a Mole.  And we've experienced uncannily similar situations with each.  I guess the best way to explain the series is likening it to a British version of our American friends Frog and Toad.  In fact, the dedication of the first Mouse and Mole says "for dear old Frog and Toad" with the illustration of Mouse and Mole reading Frog and Toad books.

Note: I was grieved to discover that this wonderful series has fallen out of print.  However, do check your local library, as ours holds the DVD collection.  Also, I had no trouble acquiring the complete set from online bookstores.  But please don't confuse them with a more recent collection listed under the same title yet written and illustrated by a completely different person.

James Mayhew

Rarely do we get to hear an artists' process of how he composes a work.  So I know you'll be pleased along with me when you read the story behind the composition of the Katie series straight from the author, James Mayhew, himself.  Check out his blog (http://jamesmayhew-katiespictureshow.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-it-all-began-part-six.html), and you'll find a talented illustrator whose personal story gives even more depth and meaning to the Katie series.  Now, I know you're going to want to check out Mayhew's Katie books!  And do let me know if you can get your hands on any that I haven't featured!

Art History

I was looking for some books in which to introduce famous works of art to my children.  Then one day as I eavesdropped -- accidentally, I might add . . . okay, maybe I was snooping a little after the cover caught my eye -- in another person's hold que at the library, I ran across the book Katie Meets the Impressionists.  Quickly, I scribbled the title down on a scrap of paper and came home to further research it.  This is what I discovered:

James Mayhew cleverly introduces specific periods, artists, and works of art to children through his  adventurous stories where the beguiling character, Katie, runs into "close calls" while jumping in and out of the art museum's paintings.  Note that Mayhew has published many more "Katie" books; these were the only ones I could get my hands on.

Katie Meets the Impressionists ~ focuses on the Impressionists painters and features: The Luncheon and Field of Poppies by Claude Monet; Girl with a Watering Can and Her First Evening Out by Pierre Auguste Renoir; The Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas.  I find the story and illustrations of this particular book the most charming in the series.

Katie and the Sunflowers ~ focuses on the Postimpressionists, specifically: Sunflowers and Cafe Terrace at Night by Vincent van Gogh; Breton Girls Dancing and Tahitian Pastorals by Paul Gauguin; and Still Life with Apples and Oranges by Paul Cezanne.  This is my second favorite story of the series.

Katie and the Mona Lisa ~ focuses on masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance, specifically: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, An Angel with a Lute by one of Leonardo's students, St. George and the Dragon by Raphael, Primavera by Sandro Botticelli, and The Lion of St. Mark by Vittore Carpaccio.

Katie's Sunday Afternoon ~ focuses on the Pointillists, specifically: Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Bathers at Asnieres, and Entree du port de Honfleur by Georges-Pierre Seurat; Woman Hanging up the Washing by Camille Pissarro; and Portrait of Felix Feneon by Paul Signac.

On another note, Dogs' Night by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Allan Curless and Mark Burgess gives a fanciful introduction to paintings (4 specific) in the National Gallery in London.  As the story goes, each year the dogs jump out of their paintings for a frolic.  But this year, mayhem ensues when several return to the wrong paintings.

 

Note: These books are recommended for ages 4-8.

So readers, please weigh in with any other child friendly art history suggestions?  I'm just an eavesdropping novice in this genre.