Mouse & Giraffe

May 1, 2023
A giraffe and mouse don't see eye to eye--quite literally. Giraffe is so very tall, and Mouse is so very small. They live next door to each other and meet every day by their mailboxes for a sip of tea. But Mouse and Giraffe's arguments are endless. Giraffe, whose head is blazing in the sun, thinks it is much too hot. Mouse, who is lounging in Giraffe's shadow, thinks it is delightfully cool. "Hot!" complains Giraffe. "Not!" retorts Mouse. But when Giraffe moves to the shade, Mouse is left in the sun. The pair bicker about smells in the air, the moon in the sky, and whether a recent rainstorm was delightful or a major inconvenience, each having conflicting opinions because of their own height and perspective. Corace's inked illustrations humorously highlight the discrepancies between the squabbling two. But when Mouse takes to bed with a cold, all differences are put aside, and being a good friend is the only thing that matters. The conceit is clever, and the lesson unfolds naturally, but Mouse and Giraffe never fully communicate what they are learning about each other's viewpoints. Further discussion may be required after the book is closed. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A thought-provoking exploration of understanding differences. (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 15, 2023
Neighbors Giraffe and Mouse learn the art of appreciating another’s perspective in this humorous look at empathy. Though they meet each morning at their mailboxes for tea and a chat, neighbors Giraffe and Mouse can’t see eye to eye on anything—literally. In an early exchange, tall Giraffe, whose head rises high into the sunny sky, remarks that it’s hot outside, while tiny mouse, whose shorter stature keeps him covered by Giraffe’s shadow, notes “it’s quite comfortable.” The end result—as happens most days about most experiential topics—is a parting shout-off (“ ‘Hot!’ said Giraffe./ ‘Not!’ said Mouse”). But when Mouse doesn’t show up at the mailbox, and a worried Giraffe discovers Mouse sick in bed, all their bickering is forgotten as Giraffe steps up to care for his friend. Gouache, ink, and pencil artwork from Corace (House Finds a Home) and play-by-play text by DiPucchio (Oona) spotlight the protagonists’ differing points of view, though fall short of conveying the two truly grasping one another’s experience. But the characters’ cozy-looking neighborhood brims with charming details, including vining blooms and intricate stained glass, and the figures cut stylish figures in appropriately sized shorts, slickers, and sweaters. Ages 3–7. Agent (for DiPucchio and Corace): Steven Malk, Writers House.

July 1, 2023
Neighbors Mouse and Giraffe interact every day but have trouble getting along because they cannot see eye to eye (literally and figuratively). Giraffe complains of the heat; Mouse's experience is different: "It's quite comfortable." The uncluttered illustrations make clear that Mouse benefits from the shade cast by Giraffe's tall body, but the two characters don't have that visual perspective. "'Hot!' said Giraffe. 'Not!' said Mouse." On a night with low cloud cover, Mouse can't see the sky, but long-necked Giraffe can rise above the clouds to admire the moon and stars. With a light touch, DiPucchio's entertaining tale addresses themes of perspective and the biases that can come with personal experience. In a satisfying ending, the two neighbors acknowledge their differences with friendly overtures. Corace's distinctive illustrations of a stylish giraffe (check out his madras Bermuda shorts) and a mouse with outsized ears provide the right genial tone. Maeve Visser Knoth

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2023
Neighbors Mouse and Giraffe interact every day but have trouble getting along because they cannot see eye to eye (literally and figuratively). Giraffe complains of the heat; Mouse's experience is different: "It's quite comfortable." The uncluttered illustrations make clear that Mouse benefits from the shade cast by Giraffe's tall body, but the two characters don't have that visual perspective. "'Hot!' said Giraffe. 'Not!' said Mouse." On a night with low cloud cover, Mouse can't see the sky, but long-necked Giraffe can rise above the clouds to admire the moon and stars. With a light touch, DiPucchio's entertaining tale addresses themes of perspective and the biases that can come with personal experience. In a satisfying ending, the two neighbors acknowledge their differences with friendly overtures. Corace's distinctive illustrations of a stylish giraffe (check out his madras Bermuda shorts) and a mouse with outsized ears provide the right genial tone.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)