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CM . . .
. Volume X Number 6. . . . November 14, 2003
Nib is a young mouse who lives with his large family under a busy subway station. When the thundering of trains diminishes, Nib and the other youngsters gather to hear the old mice tell stories about Tunnel's End. According to the storytellers, Tunnel's End was "a dangerous, roofless world filled with mouse-eating monsters. But Tunnel's End was also beautiful. The air was sweet. A brave mouse could find the tastiest foods, the softest nest." When Nib grows big enough to hunt for food, he begins bringing home strange and beautiful things he finds that remind him of his favourite stories. He builds a snug hideout for himself and his treasures where he can relax and dream of Tunnel's End. Unfortunately, space is at a premium in his subterranean home, and Nib is soon chased out by irate mothers and obstreperous cousins. Fed up with his noisy, dirty home, Nib heads out for Tunnel's End. On the way, he meets Lola, a spunky girl mouse who decides to accompany him on his quest. At the end of their journey, they discover a world more dangerous and more beautiful than Nib has ever dreamed of
Barbara Reid has a well-deserved international reputation for her innovative plasticine artwork. In 1988, she was the recipient of the UNICEF/Ezra Jack Keats Award for Excellence in Children's Book Illustration. In 1993, she won the Elizabeth Cleaver Award for Two by Two, and in 1997 she received both the Governor-General's Award and the Amelia Frances Howard Gibbon Award for The Party. Apparently The Subway Mouse was inspired by the artist's observation of mice darting all over the tracks in the Toronto subway system. Mice are usually associated with dirt, but Reid's appealing story convinces the reader that a sensitive and brave mouse like Nib would much prefer to live in a weedy backyard than a grimy subway. The Subway Mouse will be a welcome addition to the elementary school's collection of Barbara Reid books and is certain to join the ranks of seldom-on-the-shelf picture books. Highly Recommended. A retired teacher-librarian, Valerie Nielsen lives in Winnipeg, MB. The Subway Mouse was shortlisted for the 2003 Governor General’s Literary Award for English children’s book illustration.
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It will come as no surprise to lovers of children's books that Barbara Reid has produced another in her series of beautiful picture books using her renowned illustration technique. In The Subway Mouse, the artist has gone beyond her use of plasticine and vibrant acrylic colours to incorporate actual bits of subway trash in her pictures. The result is a visual feast for readers. Reid's text is simple and economical, with plenty of action and conversation throughout. Her delightful tale is just the right length for reading aloud to the primary age group at story time or bed-time. Children will delight in the detail of her painstakingly created double-spread pictures and enjoy seeing how many items of underground treasures and trash they can identify in each illustration.