Lynne Rae Perkins

Violet and Jobie, mouse siblings, find themselves in a frightening predicament. While playing the Cheese Game (make the game go snap with the stick, then eat the cheese and peanut butter inside it), they are captured in a box and taken to something called a "State Park," where they are released. These two house mice have no idea how to survive in the wild, but they soon make friends who can tell them about the dangers and pleasures of outdoor life.

This is a charming little book for fans of anthropomorphic tales. It's generally realistic in its treatment of mouse life, where mice are considered a tasty snack for most of the larger creatures they encounter, though there are some fanciful parts. There's a good balance of excitement and thoughtful bits. The ending is a little more open than many tales for this age group, and would provoke discussion if read in a group setting. I can see this being a nice classroom read for second or third grade.… (mais)