We have read a couple ‘Mouse & Mole’ by Joyce Dunbar books and they are all cute stories. Mouse and Mole are the greatest of friends who go through life lessons that younger elementary students will understand. My younger kiddos (preschool) didn’t quite catch the life lesson being told between the lines, but they still enjoyed listening to the story and following along to the cute illustrations James Mayhew creates for the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Star Bright Books publishing, and Joyce Dunbar for an eARC copy of ‘Mouse & Mole: A Fresh Start.

Mouse and Mole are the best of friends and we love the different everyday adventures they enjoy. The books include three, beautifully illustrated short stories that are perfect for bridging the gap between picture books and longer chapter books.

We love the whimsical illustrations and the gentle pace of the stories which include a cast of woodland animals – Owl, Hare, Rabbit, Rat and Hedgehog. Simple everyday events and experiences are turned into discussions and adventures as Mouse and Mole enjoy each other’s company through experiences that will be familiar to young readers.

A Fresh Start tests the friends’ relationship but we love the way that it’s restored in Hip Dip Dip which is a fabulous story conveying kindness, caring and thinking about others. A Bolt from the Blue is our favourite as Mouse and Mole contemplate all the ways they can avoid being hit by lightning.

These heartwarming adventures would make a great addition to a Reception or Key Stage One classroom. The stories can be used to stimulate discussions about friendship, kindness and community spirit and could also inspire research into different woodland animals.

Well… set out on an adventure if you feel tired of seeing each other too much at home like Mouse and Mole does in this book!

I love the illustrations!

There’s one aspect I wouldn’t want the young readers to see in this particular read. It’s the way the characters behaved with each other actually saying mean things to one another.

So yes proceed with caution while reading this book to the kids and let’s emphasise that it’s not okay to talk like that with our friends and family.

Thank you, Star Bright Books, for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is adorable. The story is great and the pictures are so cute!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback! This is a cute book. A story of a mouse and a mole and their little adventures. A cute little book with short stories. My children back in the day use to watch the very quiet show called the mole sisters and this story reminds me that show. Illustrations are beautiful soft colour to reflect the quiet life of the mouse and the mole! So so cute and adorable!!!

These are cute stories about friendship. The writing is easy to follow and the pictures are fun and colorful. I would recommend this to any young reader. It would also make a great bedtime story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I love these cute little books. The pictures are fantastic. My 3yo loves the stories and loves that they are about little rodents.

Thank you to NetGalley and Star Bright Books for an advanced read copy of Mouse and Mole: A Fresh Start and Mouse and Mole: The Secret of Happiness!

The Mouse and Mole Series is a great choice for beginning chapter books for early readers. My first grade daughter was able to read the books fluently and the illustrations kept her engaged throughout. The chapters are short enough to hold the attention of beginning readers but detailed enough to contain a plot to challenge a young readers comprehension. Mouse and Mole definitely left me with lots of Frog and Toad vibes from my own childhood.

As a parent and elementary school teacher, I would recommend this book to early elementary teachers and young families!

My first experience of this series has three tiny wee stories in it, that concern a Mouse called Mouse and a Mole called Mole. It's trying to be quaint, old-fashioned, effortlessly enjoyable and so on, but somehow manages to prove that these stories really can be quite peculiar at times. In the first story, Mole decides they need to freshen up their friendship by going without each other for a whole day. What ensues is clearly stretching a day, as Mole enters quest mode all for himself, but also proves these guys share a bathroom, if not more.

Still, I could point to the third piece, where thunder comes before lightning, or so it seems, but it is just peculiar to see behind the curtain and be faced with bare evidence of these characters in some kind of lavatorial relationship. Perhaps best here is the middle piece, with what might actually manage to surprise the very young reader this is aimed at, and please them besides. To anyone older than that very young reader this will feel mildly formulaic, lacking in drama, surprise and certainly devoid of anything really fresh enough to make a recommendation. This series came my way, at last, with an American house reprinting the British-only originals, and while there's nothing inherently bad here, I'm still a touch surprised they picked on these books to give new life to.

My daughter isn't quite old enough for these books yet, but I'll definitely be purchasing once she is! These are so sweet. I love the characters and the message. A 5 star read for our family!

A cute complication of 3 stories about Mouse and Mole two friends who share a home. I especially liked the story Fresh Start with it's lesson about not taking the people in our lives for granted. The illustrations were fun and fit well with the tone of the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from netgalley. Opinions are my own

Friendship is so important and this cute little book tells a beautiful tale about it. The drawings reminds me of my own childhood books and the details in the pictures are fun. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just the most darling books! I cant get over how adorable these books are. My daughter and I loved reading these together.

Cute idea, but the execution was a little odd. It felt like there wasn't really a point to the story, other than to be grateful for your friends. This is a great message for kids to learn, but this message was really only present in the first chapter. The remainder of the book felt kind of boring and pointless. But, I thought that the overall story was cute and very sweet. The illustrations were spectacular and very detailed, which will help kids get really into the story and enjoy it even more.

I want to say first off, what a cute duo Mole and Mouse are. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and I would get prints of them for a nursery.

The three short stories had such cute story lines and messages. Such a sweet friendship and I would definitely purchase this book for a child / friend.

Another great treasure of friendship with beautiful illustrations! Mouse and Mole are so sweet with each other, even if they sometimes take each other for granted. This book has great stories for my students, and I know many children will enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and Star Bright Books for an advanced copy!

Another fun adventure in this series. I enjoyed the story and the setting of this story. Like the others, this is packed with adventure, has great pacing and always something to learn along the way.

I would use these stories in a reading group in my grade 3 classroom. Kids would enjoy the length of the stories and the story itself, of course :()

The book was beautifully written. The author made careful word choices that were very impactful. The illustrations are great for young readers! Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it.