Mouse Scouts written and illustrated by Sarah Dillard, 128 pp, RL 2
With Mouse Scouts, Sarah Dillard has created a series that my 8-year-old self would have gone bonkers for. Besides fantastic stories about best (but opposite) friends Violet and Tigerlily and their adventures with their Mouse Scout troop, Dillard's books are filled with fantastic illustrations, maps, songs, and passages from the very important Mouse Scout Handbook, including a very doable chapter on how to make a duty chart. There is just so much going on in these tiny, mousey little books!
In the first book we meet Violet, a quiet mouse who is prone to nervousness, and her best friend since their first day as Buttercups, Tigerlily. Tigerlily is the opposite of Violet, boisterous and talkative. Violet and Tigerlily are on the verge of becoming Mouse Scouts, but Violet is nervous that they won't make the cut. Happily, they become Mouse Scouts and, under the guidance of Miss Poppy, they, and their fellow scouts, embark upon their first project: earning their "Sow It and Grow It" badge.
Mouse Scout Handbook at the ready, the girls raid the garden shed for seeds and just escape the cat. They consult the Handbook for tips on what to plant and how to prepare the soil, including the use of chopsticks, a comb, and a grapefruit spoon. When Violet needs help watering the newly planted garden Tigerlily is too busy sliding down the drain spout to help out. But best friends come through in the end! Tigerlily invents the best sprinkler system ever - a water bottle with holes punched in it that she jumps up and down on to activate. The Scouts face their biggest challenge when they discover that they have to defend the garden against thieves, but Violet devises a scarecrow that gets the job done.
Dillard's books are filled with action and adventure, friendship and frustration and fantastic illustrations that are sure to enchant, engage and inspire readers!
Out now! Mouse Scouts Make a Difference!
More books by Sarah Dillard!
