The Little Mouse Santi

by Santiago Germano (Illustrator)

Overview

A Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Book of 2015

Meet the little mouse Santi—he may be small, but he has a big dream! This beautifully illustrated story explores one of the most important aspects of a child’s life, the search for identity. Santi wants to be a cat, and even though all the other mice laugh at him, he follows his dream. This timeless story ends with a whimsical twist as Santi learns a valuable lesson about self-determination while also learning he is not the only dreamer!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692252253
Publisher:	Bienville Ray LLC
Publication date:	01/15/2015
Edition description:	None
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

David Eugene Ray spent most of his life rambling, including a stint in the U.S. Navy and years playing music and Ultimate Frisbee. He has been a school teacher and an educator of the life aquatic. He lives in New Orleans. Santiago Germano is a technical digital animator, who studied illustration techniques and character design. He works in games, movies, short films, television series, and children’s books. He lives in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Editorial Reviews

"A clever picture book with an unexpected punch line that will delight young readers . . . Ray’s text is spare and approachable . . . accessible to beginning, independent readers . . . Clever text is elevated to a true delight by Germano’s wonderful, cartoonish images, which look like they wouldn’t be out of place in a Studio Ghibli animated film . . . Full of kid appeal."  —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

05/01/2015
K-Gr 2—In this simple ode to felines and the power of one's heart's desire, little mouse Santi has only one wish: to be a cat. Every day he watches the cats on the farm and practices strutting, meowing, ignoring others, and pretending to be bored, all the while wishing he could join them for naps in the sun, romps in the grass, and cozy snoozes in the lap of the farmer's wife. The other mice laugh at him, but he doesn't care, and one day he finally gathers the courage to become a cat…with surprising results. The spare text and clean lines give the book the look and feel of an animated cartoon, while gentle visual humor and winsome facial expressions add depth to Santi's longing. VERDICT A sweet and appealing book that speaks of the need to confront one's fears in order to realize a dream.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2014-12-15
A mouse who wants to be a cat has a conversation that leads to an unexpected outcome in this delightful picture book by debut author Ray, featuring illustrations by Germano (The German King, 2013).Young mouse Santi is envious of the farm cats who drink cream, take naps and receive pets from the farmer's wife. He eagerly wants to take part in these cat activities and be included in the feline community. To that end, he practices doing what cats do: swishing his tail, bathing himself, meowing and ignoring everyone; the last turns out to be a convenient skill when his friends mock him for his behavior. Eventually, he gathers his courage and approaches a real-life cat, hoping to get an introduction to the rest of the farm felines. What happens next will surprise young readers and adults alike in a turn of events that supports the book's theme that a mouse, cat or kid can become whatever he or she truly wants to be. Ray's text is spare and approachable, with repetitious phrases ("He would practice strutting across the floor, swishing his tail"; "He would practice taking cat baths"; "He would practice his meows all day and night") that will be accessible to beginning, independent readers. Santi has an admirable devotion to his dream and a realistic fear that he won't be accepted by the felines that he admires most. The clever text is elevated to a true delight by Germano's wonderful, cartoonish images, which look like they wouldn't be out of place in a Studio Ghibli animated film. Many of the illustrations are spread out across two pages: For example, the opening tableau shows Santi approaching a yarn ball, and his shadow on the wall is that of a cat's, which sets a perfect tone for the story to come. Germano also deeply captures Santi's expressions—happiness, longing and fear—in a style that's full of kid appeal.A clever picture book with an unexpected punch line that will delight young readers.

Kirkus Reviews