Wonder Mole’s Scent Costume Party

PreS-Gr 2–Wonder Mole is having a scent costume party, but one attendee perhaps shouldn’t be there. As the author explains, moles can barely see; instead they have developed a keen sense of smell. So when they go to a costume party, they don’t get dressed up in a costume their mole friends can’t see. They wear a costume that smells instead. Wearing a dapper striped outfit and top hat, Wonder Mole welcomes his guests. As each guest arrives, Wonder Mole recognizes the scents they have disguised themselves with—jaguar, horse, frog, fox, crocodile—and makes a nice comment of each. When a real weasel arrives, Wonder Mole and the other guests are very complimentary. His weasel scent “is surprisingly realistic.” Little do they know that Weasel is planning to “have two fat moles for dinner.” At this point the author toys with readers, keeping the suspense high. Will Weasel be discovered in time? When a police inspector arrives, a series of hopeful scenes occur, marked by lively illustrations and big, bold typeface. Yet the miscreant is not found out. The book ends as Weasel is finally revealed and all the guests are looking at him. The text says nothing; it is up to children to react to the open-ended finale. First written in Spanish, the English translation remains true to the original.