A New Friend

Gr 1–3—Sophie is a young anthropomorphized mouse who lives in Silverlake Forest with her family. Sophie's mother is a baker, her father is an architect, and their forest boasts a school, post office, library, and bakery. In Sophie's world, all young forest animals attend school together and are taught by Mrs. Wise, a squirrel. On the first day of class, a new student arrives: a snake named Owen. Out of fear, the other animals exclude him from their games. Sophie feels bad for Owen, but can't conquer her own fear enough to befriend him. It takes an accident and a save by Owen to open Sophie's eyes. If readers ignore the reality that many snakes do indeed eat mice, the lessons Sophie and her friends learn about the danger of being judgmental and about the importance of friendship are good ones. Bell's sketch artwork has a whimsical quality—Sophie is seen in a dress and leggings with a dainty bow on her tail. All animals are roughly the same size, and while not realistic, this makes the classroom feel comfortable (no one is towering over the mice). A gentle read for early chapter book readers who love animals.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA