ittle Mouse has room for new friends, even a ghost and a ghoul. Whether they have room for him is another matter entirely!
Living alone in a dark, creaking house, Little Mouse would love a friend. Instead, Ghost and Ghoul arrive, set on competing over who deserves to haunt the place. Mouse’s welcome sign, cake and kindness barely register while the two organise a scare-off involving a passing bear. Poor Little Mouse was hoping for company, and now he can barely get a look-in through all the spectral shenanigans going on.
Graham Howie’s distinctive artwork and rich palette give these spooky scenes so much of their frenetic, humorous character. The colour gives the supernatural squabble a lively setting without relying on darkness to do all the atmospheric heavy lifting. The failed attempts at frightening Bear offer comedy alongside Mouse’s increasingly overlooked hospitality.
For me, the humour and heart lie in the juxtaposition of Little Mouse wanting to share a haunted home, while his visitors are busy laying claim to a haunted house. Somewhere between all that haunting and hollering, Ghost and Ghoul have lost their sense of perspective.
I have endless sympathy for this small rodent resident, having to put up with these argumentative apparitions. But, when enough is enough, Little Mouse shows that small doesn’t mean silent, and little doesn’t mean weak. He has a resounding contribution of his own to make, whether these two (and quite a surprised Bear) are ready to hear it or not!
This book would be great for siblings or school friends, helping to open conversations about friendship, making room for others and making yourself heard. Perhaps we could discuss how to behave when somebody invites us into their home, too, because even the dearly departed could do with remembering their manners in the afterlife… it seems!
