PreS-Gr. 2. As Mildred and Sam's eight baby mice grow bigger, Mildred worries about them, Sam helps them play outside, and the babies dream of soaring adventures. Finally the little ones are ready to start school. The old-fashioned gender roles, with the strong dad and fussy mom, certainly don't fit all families. But the warm, colorful, full-page pictures reinforce what the text spells out, showing a cozy, loving home that makes kids feel safe enough to dare to leave. The story, which is part of the I Can Read! series, is filled with details of the preschooler's daily life--learning to tie shoelaces, packing lunches, imaginative play--that will appeal to little ones who nervously ready themselves for their first day of school. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist

K-Gr 2-These titles offer independent readers imaginative stories, an opportunity to build vocabulary, and memorable characters. Mildred, which is about overprotective parenting, has the thinnest plot, but the endearing illustrations encourage readers to keep turning the pages. Second Grade tells of a boy who sits next to the class hamster and the trouble that ensues when he decides to take it along on a field trip. First introduced in Big Max (HarperCollins, 1978), this title's star is a clever detective who dresses like Sherlock Holmes and travels via umbrella a la Mary Poppins. Here he takes on a case in the land of Ah-Ah Achoo. Fans of Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate the Great" series (Delacorte) will enjoy this whimsical mystery. Beginning readers will be motivated by these clever tales and pore over the imaginative illustrations.-Laurel L. Iakovakis, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Eight baby mice are born to Mildred and Sam in the second entry in this I Can Read series. Mildred is a nervous mother constantly worrying about her babies, but Sam is a calm dad who always reassures Mildred that "our babies will be just fine." Each spread shows the parents taking the babies on an outing, followed by a related spread with the babies having a wildly creative dream inspired by that day's outing. As the babies get older, their parents get them ready for school, and on their first day, they find the classroom full of things that recall their dreams. The caring parents, reassuring refrain, and satisfying ending all help this mid-level easy reader to stand out, and the story will also work well as a read-aloud for younger children. (Easy reader. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In ""Little Mouse Dreams,"" mice Mildred and Sam's babies keep dreaming of adventure; in ""Something New,"" Mildred and Sam prepare them for their first school experience. Both halves of this Mildred and Sam sequel are about independence, but largely from a parent's point of view. Still, the soft-focus but detailed illustrations of the diminutive cast are felicitous. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.