Little Mouse Saves the Day!
by Jeff Smith; illus. by the author
Primary    TOON    40 pp.
6/25    9781662665455    $13.99

Little Mouse is playing Supermouse when Mama says it’s time for bed: “Even Supermice have to sleep.” The affable protagonist settles into bed without complaint, Mama turns off the light…and then Little Mouse notices that the closet door is open. Smith’s (long-awaited) sequel to his 2010 Geisel Honor winner, Little Mouse Gets Ready, employs a cartoon format to tell the story. The bulk of the text appears in a handful of speech bubbles at the beginning and end, when the two main characters interact. The middle, when Little Mouse reckons with the cat-shaped shadow in the closet, is told with fewer words; the panels here are dominated by deep blues and violets. This palette stands in contrast to the cheerful, light-filled panels that bookend Little Mouse’s dark night of the soul, in which mother and child’s affectionate gazes and gentle interactions telegraph security. In the dark, Little Mouse is believably frightened, but readers will feel safe as the mouse creeps out of bed and confronts the “monster” in the closet. Little Mouse screams, Mama comes running, everyone chuckles over a misunderstanding, and Little Mouse is tucked safely into bed once more. A satisfying romp for new readers building their own confidence.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.