By Elaine Williams, illustrated by Hannah Sames

Available from Kiwi Kids Read Kiwi Books

Arturo is my new best friend. I bet he’d be full of amazing stories to share over a cuppa. Bold and daring, this is a mouse who likes to live dangerously. He ventures from his mouse hole to collect food scraps on his nightly raids, hauling back anything that takes his fancy. His stash is a sight to behold – spoons, buttons, stamps, Lego blocks, dice, shells, jewellery – you name it, beautifully decorating his homely mouse hole.

However, someone is on to his thievery. Balou, the most cunning and feared cat around. Arturo and Balou have already had a run in, and Arturo has a scar to prove it, running across his face and down his chest. The mark of a hard won battle. The day Arturo got away. A boastful little beast he’s quite proud of it, believing himself to be the bravest and most daring mouse ever. It’s this brazen fearlessness that finally gets him into big trouble.

 Pride comes before a fall, and so it is in this fast-paced tale of rollicking rhyme. Arturo’s comes in a moment of over-excitement, when he discovers a glitter pen. He is so enamoured, he forgets he must be quiet. When ever-watchful, Balou “twitches her tail and narrows her eyes”, suddenly it’s all on.

 As Balou chases him relentlessly around the house, Arturo loses all of the items he’s collected that night, using them one by one to aid in his escape. What ensues is a classic cat and mouse chase, with all the thrills, spills, and excitement you’d expect from a story written to enthral children aged three plus.

 This picture book is an absolute joy to read and is a fine addition to the bookshelf. The illustrations, completed in a textured layering of watercolour paint, pen and pencil, are enchanting. I particularly enjoyed Arturo’s sweet inquisitive face with his long white whiskers, as well as his treasure trove of a mouse-house. Although the story is set at night, the illustrator has cleverly brightened key features, but without losing the sense of mousey sneakiness and shadowy night time effects.