Characters unkind to the little mouse ( )

Who doesn't love Mercer Mayer? All children should grow up with his Little Critter books.

This book was created in tribute to Mayer's first grandchild, a touching side note.

As a fan of the Brambly Hedge books and various illustrators of The Wind in the Willows, the cover itself draws my admiration. The first half of the book depicts mouse family life nicely, but the best parts begin in the middle. Our hero lies awake one winter night in the mouse den crowded with family, and decides to seek the rumored king discussed in the first part. From there he enters the human world, but the illustrations retain the mouse point of view.

Although this is not, by far, the best depiction of the Nativity itself, it adds to the narrative and has it's own visual richness.

A little mouse who plays his acorn drum everywhere happens to be bothersome to everyone around him, so he finds himself alone playing his drum to the stars. All the animals in the forest prepare for a great King’s arrival, but sadly the King never came. The little drummer mouse, seeking an adventure, follows three wise men searching for the newborn King, and to his delight, finds him. Being small, the little drummer mouse thought no one would notice him; being caught up in the turn of events, everyone noticed the little drummer mouse and he found himself playing his acorn drum to the delight of the newborn King.