Product Description

Dot and Jabber are mouse detectives with a mission: They’re determined to find out how a little oak tree grew in their field when there are no other oak trees around. They know it grew from an acorn, but how did the acorn get there? Dot and Jabber have a case to crack--if Jabber doesn’t eat the clues first!
Ellen Stoll Walsh, creator of the popular Mouse Paint mice, introduces two new mice who love mysteries. Full of curiosity and humor, Dot and Jabber track clues to solve science mysteries for young readers. An afterword presents easy-to-understand facts about acorns and oak trees.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #832503 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Walsh's (Mouse Paint; Mouse Count) mice characters here deliver a somewhat disjointed nature lesson. Spying a young oak tree, "detectives" Dot and Jabber set out to find the larger oak that produced the acorn that sprouted into the smaller tree. After a mole points them in the right direction, the duo wonders how the acorn traveled from the bigger tree to the location of the newer tree. ("Do you think it walked?" asks Jabber). Reaching the large oak, they discover their unexpected answer (they observe a squirrel making off with a newly fallen acorn and burying it in the ground). A concluding note explains alternative ways in which acorns travel from place to place (moved by water, birds or people). More distinctive than the narrative, Walsh's spare, cut-paper collage art has a three-dimensional look and gives these inquisitive mice an appealing, comical quality. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reS-Gr 1-Dot and Jabber, two mouse detectives, "need a mystery to solve," so they try to figure out how an acorn arrived at the spot where a little oak tree is growing as there are no other oak trees in sight. They approach their investigation with the calm intensity only older readers will connect with Dragnet. As they pursue the facts, they observe that oak trees grow from acorns, acorns from oak trees, there is a large oak across the meadow, and squirrels transport and bury acorns. While the evidence is circumstantial, it is good enough for the furry twosome. They snack on extra acorns and look forward to the next mystery. The variety and texture of the materials used in the earth-tone illustrations are superb. The eight-inch square size is large enough to share with a tidy group while quite manageable for small hands. Walsh has some sturdy laurels to rest on after Mouse Paint (1989), Mouse Count (1991), and Mouse Magic (2000, all Harcourt), but these mouse detectives can stand on their own. Scientific tidbits are included on the last page to enlighten the curious. Gentle enough for pre-nap or bedtime but engaging enough for any time, this well-written, visually pleasing picture book is a good choice for all collections.

Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3-7. As two mice, Dot and Jabber, lounge in the grass, they begin a conversation. They are mouse detectives looking for a new mystery to solve. "Here's a mystery," says Dot: "What is this little oak tree doing here?" The only big oak tree they know of is on the other side of the meadow, so how could an acorn get to this spot? Dot and Jabber cross the great distance of the meadow, and using their powers of observation and clues from nature, they ultimately determine the squirrel's role in relocating the acorn. Walsh's familiar cut-paper collages present a simple cycle of life that most young children can easily grasp, and her graceful creatures transform the science lesson into something fun, thoughtful, and very special. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Great for kids who like to look for clues and solve problems
My 2 1/2 year old thoroughly enjoys books, and loves to take an active part in stories. This book provides an intriguing nature mystery that invites the reader/listener to join two little mice detectives in figuring out the origins of an oak tree. We look forward to solving more mysteries with Dot and Jabber!

Simple, fun, nature story
My 2 year old really enjoys this book. I like the mini science lesson in the story and on the last page. The narrative is simple but combines just the right amount of suspense for a little one. We read this over and over and over again.