Mina

Matthew Forsythe is the author-illustrator of Pokko and the Drum, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a recipient of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. He is also an illustrator for animated films and television. His credits include Adventure Time, The Midnight Gospel, and Robin Robin, a stop-motion animated musical from Aardman Animations and Netflix. He lives in Los Angeles. Visit him at ComingUpforAir.net.

*Mina the mouse is used to her eccentric father bringing home random items from the outside world.... She is, however, a bit concerned when he brings home what is clearly a cat, though her father insists that it’s a squirrel and invites the furry feline to stay.... Amusingly dry storytelling gives a wispy plot some edge...  The art really steals the show, especially the sly-eyed, oversized cat who looms over the pages with razor sharp claws and an expression that moves too comfortably between feigned innocence and determined menace.... Simple dialogue and stealthy repetition will boost a budding reader while some of the more sophisticated vocabulary will stretch their skills, and a surprise savior povides an opportunity for dramatic interpretation during a humorous read aloud.