MOUSE BY THE SEA: A VACATION IN NATURE (Mouse’s Adventures, 3), by Alice Melvin, Thames & Hudson, April 8, 2025, Hardcover, $19.95 (ages 3-8)
A mouse takes a weeklong holiday to the seaside in Mouse by the Sea: A Vacation in Nature, by Alice Melvin.
Join Mouse on his summer vacation by the seaside. Each day brings new excitement, from sandcastles on the beach to ice cream on the promenade, sunbathing on the sand dunes to looking for treasures among the rock pools! Intricate illustrations and interactive flaps reveal many plants and animals young readers can identify, and the atmospheric rhyming text sets the scene for this perfect summer vacation.
Mouse by the Sea features interactive flaps and gatefolds throughout, which draw the reader’s attention to hidden details and convey the ebb and flow of the tide. As Mouse makes his way along the coast and ventures out on a boat trip, he encounters lots of local wildlife, including seals and dolphins, diving gannets, and nesting puffins. The back of the book features a nature guide packed with fascinating facts about the different habitats and wildlife that Mouse encounters. —Synopsis provided by Thames & Hudson
Mouse by the Sea is the third book in Alice Melvin’s Mouse’s Adventures series. And it’s charming.
Mouse tells his story through gentle rhythmic text that is a pleasure to read aloud. Melvin’s illustrations are beautiful. From them, you get a true sense of the author/illustrator’s love of the natural world. The images are detailed and full of life. And children will love the interactive nature of the flaps, which are well constructed. The nature guide at the end provides learning opportunities beyond the book.
While all three books stand alone, it’s worth owning all of Mouse’s Adventures.
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