The little mouse loves playing his drum. He plays it everywhere that he goes. But the town's creatures are tired of the noisy mouse.
Meanwhile, the town has just received word that the royal family who is to give birth to the new king of the world will be passing through their very forest. They quickly begin making preparations for the regal convoy.
When the town's creatures think they have been stood up by the royal family, they decide to celebrate anyway. But the little mouse soon discovers something that will change their lives forever.
I thought that this was a fun take on a Christmas classic. Mayer weaves the story of little mouse so beautifully. I also love the idea of animals celebrating the birth of the king.
The illustrations are absolutely stunning. With images that fill the page, children will be drawn to the festive, winter scenes. I also love how Mayer amplifies the world of animals.
The only disconnect that I found with this story was the fact that the humans could talk to the animals. I feel that this takes a lot of the magic and mystery out of the tale. When I was a child, I loved the idea of animals helping humans without their knowledge. To me, having the animals interact with the humans takes away a bit of the story's sparkle.
Overall, this is a fun read for children ages 3-6.