Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse!
by George Mendoza; illus. by Doris Susan Smith
Primary    NYRB    48 pp.
6/23    9781681377360    $18.95

Mouse Henrietta, a gifted architect, designs unique houses for all her friends, be they mammal or fish or bird or amphibian or even insect. Rabbit’s underground home has a large root cellar; Frog’s house is built on stilts over lily pads; sun-worshipping Lizard’s cliff house features a rooftop solarium. The lengthy text is lively and engaging. (“Here she is at her drawing board, always creating for others.”) Illustrations, a mix of vignettes and double-page spreads, have an old-fashioned feel that suits the story (originally published in 1981); they are chock-full of fascinating details to pore over.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.