The wee little mouse and the wee little mole live together in a wee little house. They eat really little food and drink from really little cups. They were small, see.
On the other side of the forest is a great big bear. He rumbles and grumbles and bellows in his huge lair. He is not small by any stretch of the imagination.
One dark night . . .
Although they are scared of the dark, the mole and the mouse creep out of their hole and into the scary forest. The moon is high overhead but is soon hidden behind a cloud.
Meanwhile the bear is pacing back and forth in his den, getting more and more hungry. He’s also getting more and more angry. You really shouldn’t let a bear get that hungry; it’s dangerous.
The mouse and mole continue their journey, coming to a sticky swamp where their little paws get stuck in the mud. They fight their way through thorns, helping each other get untangled. The bear is still hungry, and his tummy is starting to growl. Soon he is growling too. “I’m hungry!” he bellows.
Mole begins to think they’re lost, so Mouse climbs a tree to get their bearings. (Or should I say, Bear-ings – I’m sorry; that really was terrible.) Up ahead, they make out a light, so they head for it.
The bear flings open his door. He wants something to eat now! He barges into the glen, looking around, his teeth glinting in the half-light. Mouse and Mole hear him coming and they’re scared. Their fur stands up and they begin to quiver.
“You’re late!” Bear tells them, taking them by the hands, and they skip back into his house where they sit down to a picnic of fruits and vegetables and cake.
My children and I really enjoyed this book. The tension was built in such a way that it was suspenseful without being too frightening, and the conclusion was great. The illustrations were very good too, the animals’ expressions sweet and friendly, except for when Bear is hungry, of course.
(This book was published in 2003 by Harcourt and was illustrated by Ivan Bates.)
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