A little mouse goes outside to play one morning, and in the course of the day he has fun with a bouncy dog, a wiggly pig, a timid sheep, a friendly cow, a happy cat, a noisy duck, and a gentle horse. Each new friend leads the little mouse to another, until he returns home tired and happy to his loving parents and comfortable bed.

Eugenie Fernandes’ rhyming text is bright and appealing. Each page invites children to participate in the story; for instance, a stanza such as “The bouncy little dog/ wants to play all day/ in puddles with a wiggly pig./ What does the little pig say?” is followed by a picture of the animal with the words “Oink! Oink!” below it. No child of the target age group will be able to resist shouting the words out.

Kim Fernandes’ intricate three-dimensional Fimo illustrations are full of life and movement. They also enrich the story with charming visual repetition. Mother mouse’s farewell wave in the morning and Father mouse’s welcome at the end of the day frame the action nicely, suggesting calm and comfort. The mouse’s ever-present hat (which he uses as a boat, a bowl for grain, and a decoration for the sheep’s ear) ties the scenes together visually, as does the ladybug that appears in every frame (symbolizing, perhaps, parental love). At the end, the little mouse falls asleep in a bed covered with toy animals – tiny versions of the real ones he has played with during the day. This book should prove to be a popular read-aloud story and a hit with its young audience.