‘What good is your wealth if you don’t get along?’

The much loved ‘once upon a time’ entry makes Sigal’s retelling of the fable a particular joy: ‘Once upon a time, there were two cousin mice, Both family and friends, which is just as nice. A gray country mouse, cheery and kind. The best sort of mouse you can find. But his cousin mouse, plump and witty, Lived richly in the big house in the city.’ And so the story introduces children to the disparity between the humble country mouse and his ‘rich’ city cousin, sharing each other’s homes for a glance at how the other half lives - and both prefer their own status: ‘Even great wealth cannot buy you bliss; one prefers that, the other wants this. Whether you’re a person or a country mouse, we each like our own kind of house. You see, people and mice just don’t get along, What good is your wealth if you do not belong? The country mouse explained, I’d rather be healthy, Better to be safe and sound than being wealthy. A fun story with a solid message beautifully illustrated - and Sigal Adler successfully adds to her repertoire of fine children’s books. Grady Harp, June 20