Little Mouse, Mole, and Rabbit disagree on the identity of "something red and shiny" up in a tree: A marble? A balloon? A ball? After collaborating to retrieve it, they discover that it's one of many shareable cherries. The book offers a reasonably persuasive lesson in cooperation, but it skimps on the cover's promised "peek-through" illustrations: there's only one. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this companion book to A New House for Mouse (2004) and The Mouse Who Ate the Moon (2014), Little Mouse spies something shiny and red hanging from the tree branch. Mistaking it for a marble, she tries to knock it down with a stick and then goes for help. Both Mole and Rabbit try to reach what they see as a ball or a balloon, but they cannot. Finally, the three animals stand on one another's shoulders. When they wobble and fall, the crash jars the tree and send hundreds of cherries raining down. This simply told fable ends with Little Mouse saying, Look what we can do when we help one another. Two physical features of the book support the story: a cutout hole allowing kids to peek into Mole's den, and a page that unfolds upwards to show the teetering tower of animals. A cutout in the cover adds to the fun. Horácek's vibrant mixed-media collages illustrate the simply told story with drama and verve. A fine read-aloud choice for young children.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist

PreS-Gr 1-What exactly is up in that tree, out of reach? Readers will have a chance to immediately make guesses with the help of a die-cut shape in the sturdy cover that reveals a shiny red orb. Mouse thinks it's a marble that she would like to have. Being too small, she recruits her friend Mole, who thinks the object is a balloon, and then Rabbit, who is sure it's a ball. Teamwork is needed, so on a vertical foldout page, Mole stands on Rabbit's head and Mouse balances on the tip of Mole's nose. They stretch and wobble and still aren't able to reach, but their crash-landing manages to dislodge a harvest of fruit from the tree. "Look what we can do when we help one another!" is the solid message. Between the bold, mixed-media illustrations and the opportunity to turn the story into a game (which animal is right? How can they work together? What do you think it is?), there is plenty here to hold children's attention. VERDICT An engaging addition.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library c Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.