A Mouse Called Wolf

Wolf is such a minuscule mouse that his mother decides to give him a big name. A slightly chewed piece of sheet music yields "Wolfgang Amadeus Mo," hence W. A. Mouse or Wolf for short.

The family mouse hole is just behind the leg of a grand piano played twice a day by an elderly woman. While his siblings like to race each other across the black and white piano keys, he would rather listen to Mrs. Honeybee, the lady of the house, play music on them. Wolf loves the music and, to the delight of Mrs. Honeybee and the bemusement of his mother, he becomes the first singing mouse. His special talent even enables him to summon help when Mrs. Honeybee falls and can't get up.

The three central characters are nicely crafted in this sweet story. Budding young musicians will relate Wolf's struggles to develop his talent and share it with his not-so-musical mother. Those who haven't discovered their talents will enjoy this small mouse as they have the other creatures King-Smith so lovingly creates.

Goodell's black-and-white illustrations, done in an engaging style similar to the work of Garth Williams, have all the warmth of the text. An appealing beginning-chapter book for young readers ready for a bit of substance, and a surefire read-aloud.