Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett

Jan Brett's adaptation of The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, part of Aesop's Fables is an expanded take on the tale with a humorous and clever ending. Originally, the story consists of two mouse cousins, and focuses only on the country mouse's instances while in town. In this version, the characters are mouse couples and includes experiences from both couples while house swapping.

Although the plot is centered around the mice, there are many other animals that appear in the background and side stories. The illustrations are full page and it's very busy with the main action in the center and subplots on the sides adding a broader view of the landscape as well as the storyline. Each illustrated spread is adorned with very detailed borders that accentuates the settings of the story. The animals have wonderful outfits on; the town animals wear fancy clothes, complete with jewellery while the country animals clothing are rugged and casual. Despite the fact that the animals do wear clothes and have human traits, they also look very realistic.

Jan Brett has illustrated thirty-eight children's books with forty-one million in print. This title as well as The Hat, The Mitten and Beauty and the Beast are my top picks from her series of books. Recommended for ages 4+.

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G.P. Putnam's Sons 1994
Hardcover 32p
10.7" × 8.7"