Welcome Home Mouse
I like the book “Welcome Home Mouse” by Elisa Kleven. The illustrations filled the pages and helped explain the text at the bottom. When Stanley (the baby elephant) smashes little mouse’s house, the pictures show him upset and sorrowful for his accident. The language is descriptive and clear so that students will stay engaged and are anticipating how Stanley will fix the situation. Mouse asks Stanley, “Where will I eat my meals?” and “Where will I sleep tonight?” which gives opportunity to have a discussion with students about their thoughts and further comprehension. Throughout the story Stanley continues to be clumsy and works towards correcting his mistakes. This pushes readers to think about these tough issues and dealing with mistakes. By the end of the book, Stanley builds mouse a new house and makes it right again. Stanley says “Here you are Mouse” and Mouse show his appreciation by replying “What a house!” The big idea of this story is we all make mistakes, but we need to correct them and make things right. ( )

Stanley, a clumsy young elephant with a heart of gold, accidentally destroys Mouse's home with his bouncing ball in this adorable picture-book from Elisa Kleven, but convinces his pint-sized victim to let him set things right. Embarking on a shopping trip for Stanley's mother, the duo visit Goat's Grocery, and Fox's Finest Bakery, and Stanley - who has an idea - collects odds and ends as they go. His creative solution to Mouse's homelessness demonstrates that although he is clumsy indeed, he is also clever, and very kind...

Prompted by the recommendations of a number of online friends who enjoy her artwork, I have been trying out more of Eliza Kleven's work, and am discovering that her colorful collage technique - making use of watercolor, ink, pastel and colored pencil elements - is immensely appealing. With a gorgeous palette, and any number of magical little details, the painting in Welcome Home, Mouse is simply delightful! When paired with a humorous and heartwarming tale that will have young readers thinking about how important it is to treat others with respect and compassion (regardless of size!), and to try to make restitution for our mistakes, the result is a true picture-book winner! I will definitely be picking up more Kleven... ( )