Big Mouse Big Mouse You're Snoring! (The Very Noisy Night - Diana Hendry)

Member Name: arleek

Product:	The Very Noisy Night - Diana Hendry
Date:	05/06/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely illustrations, great storyline

Disadvantages: None

My daughter has had this book for over a year now and she has loved it since the day she laid eyes on it. She was probably about 15 months when it was given to her (from Nanna) and although she was far too young to enjoy the story, the illustrations are that detailed and colourful that these were enough to capture her attention rather than the words.

It is written by Diana Hendry and illustrated by Jane Chapman. The version we have is hardback with a CD (never listened to it because she expects it to be a DVD and gets mad when no pictures appear on the screen!)

The story revolves around two little mice (well Big Mouse and Little Mouse). It's the middle of the night and Big Mouse is fast asleep, but Little Mouse is wide awake and thinks he can hear all sorts of weird noises and keeps asking if he can get into bed with Big Mouse, but Big Mouse always comes up with a solution and a reason why he cannot get into bed with him (he wriggles, his paws are always cold etc).

The first noise he hears is something 'huffing and puffing' around the house so he shouts to Big Mouse, but Big mouse only opens one eye and tells him it's only the wind and to go back to sleep. Then Little Mouse hears someone tapping, but Big Mouse assures him it's only a branch tapping on the window. Then he can hear a ghost calling 'hoo hoo' but it turns out it's only an owl who is awake like Little Mouse.

By now Big Mouse is getting a little bit fed up of Little Mouse's nattering but then Little Mouse thinks it's raining inside and fetches his red umbrella! So Big Mouse gets out of bed and tells all the noises to be quiet and puts away the umbrella and puts Little Mouse back in bed and goes back to bed himself. And just when Little Mouse thinks he is going to fall asleep...Big Mouse starts snoring! So Big Mouse puts some ear muffs on Little Mouse and puts a paperclip on his own nose and they both go back to bed.

But this just won't do either...Little Mouse feels all alone and it's far too quiet! He wakes Big Mouse up and finally Big Mouse lets him crawl into bed with him and they eventually both fall asleep and never even hear the alarm clock!

This is a beautiful book, the story is brilliant, but I think it appeals to a child older than 15 months! My daughter is now 2 and a half and I don't think she still quite grasps the storyline but she does enjoy listening to it...probably because I use silly voices for the two mice. The way the story is written and worded makes you want to express yourself because (as a parent) you probably can understand Big Mouse's exasperation with Little Mouse who just won't go to sleep, but you can also understand Little Mouse's feelings of worry and being frightened at the slightest little sound during the night.

It's wonderful to read because although the text doesn't have the rhyming rhythm like many children's books (the first book in my daughter's collection to do this actually), it repeats words over and over again such as 'Big Mouse' and 'Little Mouse', and also the noises that Little Mouse hears are repeated such as 'Little Mouse lay and listened to the wind huffing and puffing, the branch tap tapping, and the owl hooting'...and each time Little Mouse hears a new noise he cries 'Big Mouse Big Mouse!'

I really get into it when I'm reading it because I can feel Little Mouse's desperation at all the little sounds he can hear, but I can also feel Big Mouse's frustration at this little creature who won't pipe down! And obviously this must come across in my voice when I'm reading it, I really do get quite excited, but my daughter does enjoy it, and they both fall asleep at the end which is a nice ending to a fraught story!

The illustrations throughout the book are very detailed and colourful. Obviously you are within the house that Big Mouse and Little Mouse live in and they have two little beds with patchwork quilts on which feature on every page. But it's the little details like a ladybird (one of my daughter's favourite creatures) here and there, or a little spider creeping about and even a woodlouse! Then there are other things to spot such as dice, little candles, marbles, match boxes piled up, Oxo boxes, buttons, all sorts of little items that kids find intriguing.

When we first had this book we used to just sit and look and the pictures together and my daughter would point at all the things she found interesting and ask me what they were, she actually learnt what a woodlouse was from this book.

I really recommend this book for young children. The illustrations will appeal to the younger child, and the story will appeal to an older child (especially if you do silly voices!)

Can be found on Amazon for £4.99

Summary: Big Mouse and Little Mouse trying to get some sleep