The Mouse Who Carried a House on His Back

July 1, 2022
Vincent is a peripatetic mouse who carries a small house, in the form of a die-cut hole, on his back. He temporarily settles atop a small hill, where he knows "he needed to be." When a series of animals -- a bullfrog, a cat, hedgehogs, badgers, etc. -- appear, all needing a place to stay, they can't believe they'll fit in Vincent's house. But it turns out that the small house is bigger on the inside; better yet, it keeps expanding. As each new animal moves in, a new house appears on the hillside, reinforcing the sense of community and spaciousness; readers are eventually treated to a delightful double gatefold revealing an entire neighborhood of symbolic homes, each one somewhat resembling the creature it represents. After an indoor feast, a bear appears. The other residents recoil in fear, but Vincent declares, "In my house, all animals are welcome." Stutzman's text possesses a subtle humor, including the use of the phrase "one by one by one by one by one by one by one" to refer to the number of creatures who seek shelter. Arsenault's textured illustrations, filled with rewarding visual details and surprises at nearly every page-turn, bring to life the snug interior world of Vincent's home. A warm, welcome, and satisfying read.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 Vincent, a mouse who roams the world carrying his house on his back and stopping where he knows he should, offers food and shelter to animals in need. After setting up his house, he invites a weary bullfrog and a hungry cat inside. Each initially declines the offer, saying his house is too small. But after entering, they find that it is bigger than it looks. Others soon join them: deer, hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, and a fox. Just as they are sitting down to dinner, a large, hungry bear knocks on Vincent's door. Fearful, the other animals urge their host to turn him away, but Vincent opens his home to the gentle bear, and all is well. Within the lively, expressive illustrations, created with gouache, ink, and cut paper, the mouse's house is depicted with five line segments joined to create the classic house shape, though it looks increasingly like the portal to another dimension where multiple, colorful homes offer space for all. This picture book tells a satisfying tale, while leaving room for interpretation, discussion, and reflection.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 15, 2022
Vincent the mouse's extraordinary house expands to make room for all in need of shelter. In this generosity-themed fable, Vincent carries his invisible house, stopping where "he knew...he needed to be" to teach a forest of animals that "in my house, all animals are welcome." His first guest is a weary bullfrog who doubts he can fit inside the tiny animal's home. But the interior, shown in warm, cozy shades of cream, grows to fit the frog, a hungry cat, a family of damp hedgehogs, and, eventually, a whole group of forest critters gathering together to feast in the magical house. An enormous bear's arrival tests the group's tolerance, as they fear he might "eat us!" or "squish us," but Vincent's brave insistence that all join in saves the day. Smooth, often repetitive language that's deliberately formal creates an atmosphere as snug as a cat consuming "fresh honeycomb and warm milk," though the overt messaging about inclusiveness feels a tad heavy-handed. Delicate gouache, ink, and cut-paper illustrations in a subdued palette mirror the quietness of the text, and seeing the home's interior colors brighten in contrast with the dull drizzle outside is especially satisfying. Bear's teddy bear-like dimensions are somewhat unfortunate, as they are so benign that they remove any possibility of tension from the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A placid story with a welcome message, even if it lacks subtlety. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
Vincent is a peripatetic mouse who carries a small house, in the form of a die-cut hole, on his back. He temporarily settles atop a small hill, where he knows "he needed to be." When a series of animals -- a bullfrog, a cat, hedgehogs, badgers, etc. -- appear, all needing a place to stay, they can't believe they'll fit in Vincent's house. But it turns out that the small house is bigger on the inside; better yet, it keeps expanding. As each new animal moves in, a new house appears on the hillside, reinforcing the sense of community and spaciousness; readers are eventually treated to a delightful double gatefold revealing an entire neighborhood of symbolic homes, each one somewhat resembling the creature it represents. After an indoor feast, a bear appears. The other residents recoil in fear, but Vincent declares, "In my house, all animals are welcome." Stutzman's text possesses a subtle humor, including the use of the phrase "one by one by one by one by one by one by one" to refer to the number of creatures who seek shelter. Arsenault's textured illustrations, filled with rewarding visual details and surprises at nearly every page-turn, bring to life the snug interior world of Vincent's home. A warm, welcome, and satisfying read. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 20, 2022
Generosity literally knows no bounds for a small, red-nosed mouse named Vincent in this picture book. Having the gift of knowing where he needs to be, he sets down the eponymous, tiny portable house—depicted as a home’s outline—at the top of a hill, and extends offers of shelter and hospitality to all comers. The parade of tired, hungry, and rain-drenched travelers soon includes a bullfrog and a family of hedgehogs, each of whom initially expresses skepticism about the tiny house’s capacity (“I doubt I’ll be able to fit inside your dining room,” says a large cat). But the mouse knows otherwise: as the number of guests expands, so does Vincent’s digs, conjuring chairs at the food-laden farmhouse table, and ample room—despite other guests’ initial protestations—for a huge, hungry, wet bear (“all animals are welcome,” Vincent insists). It may confuse some readers that Stutzman (Bear Is a Bear) refers to a single, ever-growing house, while Arsenault’s (Just Because) Matisse-leaning cut paper, gouache, and ink illustrations show multiple, freestanding adjacent buildings proliferating to encompass an entire gatefold. But author and illustrator are definitely on the same page in affirming an all-too-timely message of open doors and open hearts. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions.