Product Description

An old wise mouse warns his three young mice of the danger that lurks at the top of the cellar stairs, yet they insist on seeing it for themselves. Step by step, they climb up to the dark shadows. . . . Sam McBratney's suspenseful tale will have children shrieking and grinning by turns. Full color Ages 4-7. Pub: 1/98. .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #746420 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-06
• Released on: 1998-01-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Three young mice brave the monster (that is, the cat) who lives in the dark at the top of the stairs. "Perfectly captur[es] the edgy glee and derring-do of a trip to dangerous territory," said PW. Ages 4-up.
- the edgy glee and derring-do of a trip to dangerous territory," said PW. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?McBratney follows up his cozy, warm Guess How Much I Love You (Candlewick, 1995) with a real change of mood. Though their wise old mentor tries to entice them outdoors to play, three young mice insist on seeing what lives behind the dark at the top of the stairs. Its single word?"MEOW"?sends them "bumpety-bump and slippity-slide and tumble-thump" all the way back down. Bates gives readers a mouse's-eye view of the adventure: topped by a towering door, the huge stairs loom above a shadowed, cobwebby, cluttered cellar lit in dim, ominous blues and grays. Like Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury's We're Going on a Bear Hunt (McElderry, 1989), this book invites youngsters to venture out into the unknown, offering the reassurance of a haven at the end, and the exhilaration of a mad scramble to get there.?John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3^-6. A wise old mouse tucks his three little mice into bed and asks what they would like to do the next day. They insist that they want to go to the dark at the top of the stairs to see the monster there. Although the old mouse suggests a visit to the cornfield or a swing on the grass seed-heads, the little mice will not be dissuaded. The next morning they begin their trek up the cellar stairs, but one look at the monster and the sound of one soft "MEOW" send them bumping, thumping, and sliding back home. From the cozy scenes of the mice safe in bed to their dramatic climb up the steep stairs to the climactic moment when they see the cat (shown here only in shadow), the dramatically shaded full-color illustrations show a great sense of atmosphere, perspective, and humor. As appealing as the artwork is the simple text, which begs to be read aloud. Just scary enough to please the story hour crowd. Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

It's okay, but there's not much to it.
This is a story about three mice who ask their grandfather to bring them to the dark of the stairs, where they meet a cat and are scared out of their wits.

It's not a bad story, it's just not a great one. Given that the book is oversized (read: hard to shelve), you may be better off just skipping this one.

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
I give this book four stars, only because I wish it was longer! It was a very good story, and would have been better if they went into more detail. The story is about some curious mice who want to go the top of the stairs, to the dark, to see the monster who lives up there. It's really cute to see what and who the monster ends up being. This story is very fun for children to read, and the illustrations make you feel part of the story, like you are traveling up the stairs with them. Exeperience the suspense, as you travel with the mice to see the huge, terrifying monster that has been talked about their whole lives!

Parent Review
I was not sure if this was too scary when my thre year old son picked this book out. When we got home we read it over and over again. It kept him in suspense trying to figure out what was at the top. I suggest this cute book for any 2 to 3 year old and my son would too. We had to go buy the book.