Product Description

Mouse, Hedgehog, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Snake are friends. But one day Mouse hears from Skunk (who heard it from Fox) that snakes are dangerous, especially to mice.

Oh, dear!

Can friendship survive gossip? Should friends stick together, no matter what? And what do friends do when a friend is in trouble? Or when a friend has hurt feelings?

Do you know the answers? Mouse and Snake need your help!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #442720 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Released on: 2007-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
As this straightforward, genial tale begins, Hedgehog discovers Mouse covering himself with leaves, trying to hide from their friend Snake. Why? Fox told Skunk and Skunk told me that snakes are very dangerous to mice, Mouse explains. Although Hedgehog dismisses the news as silly gossip, Mouse continues to worry and, distracted, stumbles into a deep, narrow hole. For various reasons, Squirrel, Rabbit and Hedgehog cannot help their fallen friend, but trusty Snake devises a way to retrieve Mouse without scaring him. Although the story holds no surprises, the banter feels fresh. Keller's (Farfallina & Marcel) eye-catching, highly textured illustrations, which she identifies as collographs, or printed collages, balance toy-like depictions of the characters with almost lifelike renderings of the variegated green vegetation. Encircling or framing the text, poking through white space or suddenly changing the page orientation from horizontal to vertical, the art gives this book an irresistibly insouciant spirit. Ages 3-8.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3—Because Mouse has heard that snakes are dangerous, he hides from his friend Snake. As he looks around nervously, he falls into a hole and hurts his foot, and none of his other friends can help him. Squirrel is afraid of the dark, the hole is too narrow for Rabbit to hop out of, and Hedgehog is too prickly to carry him. Only Snake can help him, and he devises a way to rescue his friend without frightening him. When he sees who saved him, Mouse is ashamed and tries to make amends. This story has the simplicity of a fable. The appealing art is done in collographs, which are printed collages, and watercolors. By showing Mouse's rescue vertically, the hole seems very deep and Mouse's peril very real. Snake's body, created from a mesh onion bag, looks menacing, but Snake is a true friend. Leafy landscapes are used sparingly, leaving the animals to hover against the white background in some illustrations. Their kind faces make this an engaging tale and a top-notch addition.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
After Mouse hears silly gossip that Snake is dangerous, he becomes so nervous that he falls down a deep hole. Squirrel won't help (it's too dark, and there could be spiders); neither will Rabbit or Hedgehog. It's Snake who eventually organizes Mouse's rescue, which occasions an apology to Snake as well as a lovely bouquet. In a back-flap note Keller explains how she created her hand-painted collographs, which make use of cut paper, cardboard, and textured surfaces, such as a mesh bag used for Snake's body. The colorful double-page art is clear and beautifully textured, from the picture of the deep, brown hole to the one of the friends snuggled together. Of course, children may know that some snakes do eat mice (which makes the gossips right), but this is fantasy, after all, and many young children will enjoy the rescue drama. Rochman, Hazel

Customer Reviews

kids loved it!
I'm a second grade teacher and luckily I found this book to talk about trust, gossiping and friendship with my children. amazing effect! They even wanted to create a role play based on the book!! We have analyzed it and take it to our personal situations. Great choice. Kids read it once and again. Five stars!!!

A read-aloud favorite!
My sister gave this book to my four-year-old daughter last year, and it has quickly become one of our favorites. It's sweet, simple, and endearing, and has a wonderful message. Plus, there is a lot of dialog between the animal characters, which invites the reader to use silly voices, and makes it a fun read-aloud. My daughter shared it with her preschool class one day, and the teacher said it's become a class favorite as well.

Can friendships survive gossip?
Holly Keller's HELP: A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP tells of Mouse and his very different friends who get along well - until Mouse hears from a mutual friend that his snake friend may be dangerous. Can friendships survive gossip? When Mouse is indeed endangered, danger - and rescue - come from unexpected places in this gentle story.