City Mouse, Country Mouse

VERDICT Even if this tale is already represented in collections, this cleverly illustrated addition is well deserving of a place. Great for independent reading and small group sharing.

Maggie Rudy’s reimagining of an Aesop tale, “City Mouse, Country Mouse” has more ambition as a story and a wider scope of illustration. . . There’s push and pull between city and country as each mouse tries in vain to adjust to an unfamiliar setting, before Tansy and William depart from Aesop and meet in the middle.

Notice also the exquisite expressions on the faces of the mice in each scene. Rudy has captured looks of wonder, eagerness, mournful sadness, and intense conversation. These mice are creatures we can care about because we recognizable their feelings. Celebrating the merits of compromise—and allowing for a “happily ever after” ending—this less preachy version of Aesop’s tale is more appealing to most modern readers than the ones advocating avoiding risk and lowering one’s expectations.

Rudy’s intricately constructed miniature tableaux of found materials and felted characters, photographed by her, offer much to pore over, and the double-page spreads depicting pastoral scenes, city streets, and their newfound in-between town are beautifully realized. . .There’s always room for another take on a classic, especially when done so well.