Mouseboat

by Larissa Theule, Abigail Halpin (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical, soothing story about new beginnings, even in the darkest times, Mouseboat is a powerful tribute to finding your way home again.

The wind is your voice.
You whisper to me.

A young girl feels lost after the death of her mother. Dad tries his best to manage everything alone, but things just aren't the same. When they take a trip to their lake house, the girl longs to feel a connection to her mom, and so she takes out the small mouseboat that she and her mom built together. And somehow, in the wind and the rain, protected by the mouseboat, she finds her mother's love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593327357
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/28/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.87(w) x 10.81(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	AD300L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Larissa Theule holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of the picture books Kafka and the Doll, Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face, and A Way with Wild Things. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Please visit larissatheule.com.


Abigail Halpin has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her illustrations blend traditional and digital media, mixing watercolor, ink, pencil, and collage. When not drawing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, in front of her sewing machine, or out of doors exploring.

Please visit theodesign.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Figurative language in first person pairs with abstract watercolor illustrations to make a breathtaking lyrical picture book that beautifully portrays Faye’s sorrow and longing. . . . This book will remind grieving readers that loved ones are waiting for them with patience and understanding." —BCCB, starred review

★ "With sensitivity and immediacy, this prescient picture book charts a cathartic journey through grief to hope." —Booklist, starred review

"With spare, heartfelt text, Theule invites readers into a narrating child’s deepest feelings . . . Halpin’s crisp mixed-media art depicts a lush green woodland and brilliant blue water that shimmers, roils, laps, and crashes in dramatic scenes that mimic the child’s emotional journey." —Publishers Weekly

"A good book to help children cope with loss and to help them discover fresh starts even during the most challenging times." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2022-12-14
It can be hard to find home again.

On a trip to the lake house, young Faye addresses someone absent. Clues reveal it to be Faye’s Mama. Without her presence, the house feels empty. “Dad does everything different,” and the quiet between them reverberates, too. In a move to connect with Mama, the child sets off in a boat labeled “Faye & Mama’s Mouseboat.” In sparse but moving text, Theule explores the soft, somber moments of grief. The dynamic changes, not only between the absent and the present, but between those left behind as well. Halpin’s detailed watercolor, colored pencil, and digital art captures the tone and narrative progression of Faye’s story. Out on the stormy water, where not only can Mama be heard, but her voice is all-encompassing, the typography switches over to all caps, giving the moment an intimate feel. The reassuring message—“YOU’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. BE BRAVE. I LOVE YOU”—boldly placed across the spread will be felt deeply in Faye’s and in readers’ hearts. Halpin renders this cathartic moment in a more abstract style, as vignettes of memories are overlaid on Faye’s figure, depicted in orangey-red hues. Faye returns to shore and Dad’s arms. Together, the pair look at photos, and the bedroom wallpaper behind them blurs into inky scenes of memories—a synthesis of past and present. Characters present as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A soothing, reassuring look at loss and life. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews