Mouse Visits Antarctica
By Frank Viva
Toon Books, $12.95, 38 pages
Many parents are familiar with the following phrase: “Are we there yet?” Inquisitive (and sometimes bored) children often want to know how much longer they will have to spend in the car or boat or plane. For a little kid with an attention span of about three minutes, travel to and from a destination can seem to take a lifetime. In Frank Viva’s story A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse, a furry critter accompanies a young explorer on a sea journey to Antarctica. In between seeing beautiful sites and meeting new friends, Mouse asks “Are we there yet?” and “Can we go home now?” Together the friends encounter huge rolling waves, a night sky filled with stars, icebergs, an orca whale and four kinds of penguins! They even find a submerged volcano and swim in its warm thermal waters. Viva’s illustrations combine the simplicity of comic strip panels with a strange and magical world that will delight readers. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse is based on the author’s own experiences aboard a Russian research vessel. Join Mouse in Antarctica. There is so much to see!
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
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