Module 5: Picture Books for Older Readers (Grades 3+)

Asch, Frank. Mr. Maxwell's Mouse. New York: Kids Can Press, Ltd., 2004.

Summary: Mouse, Mr. Howard Maxwell enters the Paw and Claw restaurant and decides to treat himself to a live mouse for lunch to celebrate his big promotion. Mr. Maxwell's Mouse arrives on a silver platter and proceeds to try to wit himself out of being eaten. Mr. Maxwell, himself a little squeamish about killing the mouse, is persuaded by the mouse to put on a blindfold to enable him to kill the mouse. The mouse, having planned this all along, puts Mr. Maxwell's tail on the plate, and Mr. Maxwell cuts into his tail, while the mouse makes his escape, releasing all of the other captive mice, and causing havoc in the restaurant. 

Impressions: Father/son team Frank and Devon Asch have created a masterpiece, but it isn't for the feint of heart. The mostly black and white illustrations are beautifully created in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. The illustrations are so lifelike that the mouse and cat look like they could get up and walk off the page. While the reader will catch on to the mouse's devious plan, the story unfolds with rich language, and dark humor. Another California Young Reader Medal winner that I thoroughly enjoyed reading; the kids loved it and squealed and gasped when the cat cut into his own tail!

Reviews:

School Library Journal: A clever game of cat and mouse is presented with delicious humor by this father/son team. Readers will relish the formal language as a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint to a very funny, if macabre, story. A truly scrumptious treat.

Horn Book Guide: Witty dialogue between the cat and the crafty, deferential mouse and refined, digitally rendered illustrations (primarily black and white) combine in this macabre but deliciously dark comedy. 

Publisher's Weekly: Father-son team Frank and Devin Asch (Like a Windy Day; Baby Duck's New Friend) here team up for a cat-and-mouse tale that showcases the younger Asch's lush digital artistic talents, alongside the elder's witty text.