Fourth of July Mice! is a 2004 children's picture book written by Bethany Roberts and illustrated by Doug Cushman, part of the team's Holiday Mice series. The book, about a family of mice celebrating U.S. Independence Day, was published to positive reviews.
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| Author | Bethany Roberts |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Doug Cushman |
| Language | English |
| Series | Holiday Mice[1] |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Published | May 2004[2] |
| Publisher | Clarion Books[3] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 32[2] |
| ISBN | 0-618-31367-2 |
Synopsis
editA family of mice spend Independence Day holding a parade, playing baseball, swimming in the pool, and enjoying fireworks among other activities.[3]
Background
editThe book is the seventh (and to date, the last)[4] instalment of Roberts and Cushman's Holiday Mice series,[1][2] whose title characters previously appeared in Halloween Mice! (1995) and Thanksgiving Mice! (2001).[2]
Reception
editFourth of July Mice! received positive reviews. The School Library Journal called it a "slice-of-life story [that is] slight but pleasant",[3] and Publishers Weekly deemed it a "light, rhymed romp".[1] Writing for Booklist, Connie Fletcher said: "[Fourth of July Mice!] just about gushes red, white, and blue—from the colors of the clothing the family wears to the all-American activities that form the backbone of the book....A charming way to prepare for the holiday."[2] The mice's proceedings "[made for] great fun written in quick, rhyming text" (per Bonnie Fowler of the Winston-Salem Journal),[5] while "very simple language helps kids understand the celebration" (according to Children's Bookwatch).[6]
School Library Journal, Booklist, and Winston-Salem praised Doug Cushman's illustrations,[2][3][5] along with The Horn Book (which was otherwise less enthusiastic).[7] "The energetic watercolors," The Horn Book's reviewer said, "capture the holiday spirit better than the lackluster rhyming text, which relies too heavily on repeated words and onomatopoeia."[7] Four years after its publication, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal wrote, "Featuring the Holiday Mice at their most adorable, this story about our nation's birthday will delight readers young and old."[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c Zaleski, Jeff (May 3, 2004). "Children's Notes: A Red-White-and-Blue Parade". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 251, no. 18. pp. 194–195. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c d e f Fletcher, Connie (May 2004). "Review: 'Fourth of July Mice!'". Booklist. Vol. 100, no. 18. p. 1626. ISSN 0006-7385. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c d Owen, Maryanne H. (June 2004). "Review: 'Fourth of July Mice!'". School Library Journal. Vol. 50, no. 6. p. 117. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Kumar, Lisa, ed. (2010). "Roberts, Bethany 1949–". Something About the Author. Vol. 202. Gale Research. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4144-3499-5. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b Fowler, Bonnie (June 27, 2004). "Children's Books: Flag-waving tales will make for amusing holiday reading". Winston-Salem Journal. p. A18. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Clarion Books". Children's Bookwatch. 14 (8). Midwest Book Review: 7. August 2004. OCLC 13100762. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Gale General OneFile.
- ^ a b "PDS" (January–June 2004). "Preschool: 'Fourth of July Mice!'" (PDF). The Horn Book. Vol. 15, no. 2. p. 325. ISSN 1044-405X. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Just 4 Kids: Book picks: Children". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Spartanburg, South Carolina. July 2, 2008. p. D3. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Google News Archive at Google Books.