Who Goes There?

by Karma Wilson, Anna Currey (Illustrator)

Overview

Cozy up to this tender tale about overcoming fears and finding friendship, from the New York Times bestselling author of Bear Snores On.

Lewis Mouse is preparing his nest for winter. It is cozy and it is warm, and yet something is missing. All of a sudden—

SCRITCH, SCRATCH, TAP, TAP, TAP!

Lewis hears the scariest noises! Who can be making those sounds? He uses his bravest voice to shout, “WHO GOES THERE?” and scare off whoever it is. But could it be that he has nothing to be afraid of? Perhaps whoever is making the noise might make Lewis’s home even cozier!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416980025
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	10/22/2013
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Anna Currey is the author and illustrator of several books, including The Christmas Unicorn and Truffle’s Christmas. She also illustrated One Ted Falls Out of Bed, written by Julia Donaldson; The Macmillan Book of Nursery Rhymes; and When the World Is Ready for Bed and When the World Was Waiting for You, both written by Gillian Shields. Anna lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

08/19/2013
“My nest is warm,” thinks Lewis the mouse, sitting all alone in his furnished tree hole as winter approaches. “My nest is cozy. But something is missing. What could it be?” The answer, most readers will readily guess, is companionship, which materializes in the form of a friendly mouse named Joy at story’s end. It’s a surprisingly slight and familiar tale from Wilson (Bear Says Thanks), built on a rather creaky structure of strange noises—“scritch scratch tap tap tap”—and mistaken perceptions: the sounds that Lewis think are harbingers of a fierce predator are actually Joy building a nest on another side of the tree. Meanwhile, the “bellowing” that Joy believes is an equally “enormous and frightful” creature is just Lewis’s attempt to defend life and limb from imagined dangers. While steady tension pulls the story forward, it’s really more of a showcase for Currey’s (When the World Was Waiting for You) handsome watercolor-and-ink drawings, which portray both actual nature and anthropomorphized animal life in the classic British style. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Shannon Associates. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"The story is warm and comforting and...many will like this book’s sweetness."

Booklist

"The story is warm and comforting and...many will like this book’s sweetness."

Booklist

2013-08-15
There's something scary out there, disturbing Lewis Mouse in his cozy home. Lewis lives in a tiny hole at the bottom of a large tree. He has made it warm and comfortable, but he senses that something is missing. When he hears "SCRITCH SCRATCH TAP TAP TAP," he imagines threats from a great horned owl, a sneaky cat or a big bear, and he puts forth his bravest, loudest voice, shouting, "Who goes there?" Though leading to expectations of a scary ending in the manner of the various incarnations of the "Tailypo" folk tale, the story takes a different, more comforting turn. Lewis finds that Joy, another mouse, has been making those sounds while preparing her home for the winter. She, in turn, was frightened by his loud bellows. So, it is all a case of mistaken identity, and the two mice find companionship for the long winter ahead--and Lewis realizes that the missing "something" was a friend. Wilson makes good use of sound effects and repetition to build suspense and depicts Lewis as no scaredy-mouse, as he bravely faces his fears. Little readers will be reassured by the warm, fuzzy conclusion. Currey's pen, ink and watercolor illustrations nicely contrast the dark night with the cozy interiors and are a bit Beatrix Potter–esque in their depictions of Lewis. The start of a beautiful friendship. Lovely. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews