Mouse Scouts

Mouse Scouts
(Mouse Scouts #1)
Written and illustrated by Sarah Dillard

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-0385756020
Publisher: Yearling
Date of publication: January 5, 2016
Age: Grades 2 - 4

Themes: mice, scouting, gardening, friendship, problem solving

Best friends Violet and Tigerlily can’t wait to start earning their merit badges in Mouse Scouts. But their troop leader, Miss Poppy, is one strict rodent. And earning their first badge—planting a vegetable garden—is hard work. Will the troop drive unwanted pests from the garden and earn their Sow It and Grow It badge? And will they ever get Miss Poppy to smile?

It's cute. There's not necessarily any aspects that make it stand out, but it gets the job done. Violet and Tigerlily are the typical introverted/extroverted friends. We do learn why they became friends, which was nice, but not a whole lot else. The illustrations are a nice addition, adding to the cuteness. What I did particularly enjoy was excerpts from the "Mouse Scout Handbook" at the end of every chapter; it added a nice touch of humor and information to the story. What surprised me was how aware the mice are that they're...well, mice. Living with humans. One scout even has a bent tail due to a run-in with a mouse trap. It was strange, when one is used to animal-perspective books that don't include humans.

In the end, I probably wouldn't jump to recommend it, but it's nice to know it's there—like if a child particularly enjoys scouting or gardening. It also goes well with the other "mouse" chapter books of late, such as Sophie Mouse or a classic like The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Find it at your library or on Amazon