Conventions: There is a lot of punctuation in this book used properly, which would help support a better understanding of the function of punctuation in writing. Sentence Fluency: There is rhythm and flow in repetition of words in this text as well as a use of words in which readers are not stopped to decode meaning. He’s just passed a restaurant that he recognizes as being roughly the halfway point between their houses when everything goes from bad to worse. But this means he’s completely alone. He half wishes he could trade places with Chris, really, he thinks, as he lies atop his sweaty sheets with his face pressed into a pillow. He’s miserable enough to want to be in the presence of someone who cares about him. Someone who will put a hand to his forehead and touch his hair and bring him water so he doesn’t have to drag himself to the kitchen while trying his hardest not to pass out.

Not that this is going to happen. Besides, he tries to scold himself with the rational part of his brain, he’s used to taking care of himself. What’s wrong?” he asks immediately, grabbing Eddie’s arm and pulling him inside when Eddie doesn’t immediately step forwards on his own. It starts to rain. And it’s not a drizzle, either. Thunder rolls across the sky and lightning flashes and within seconds it’s pouring. The cold rain soaks Eddie to the core and for a few moments it actually feels good, because he’s definitely not sweating anymore. But then the coldness catches up to him and he starts shaking and he’s probably never been this cold in his whole life. He wants to sit down. He wants to crawl into his bed and fall asleep. He wants someone to wrap him in a blanket and pull him inside and hold him until he stops shivering. It hadn’t been dark when he had fallen asleep, he thinks, though he can’t really remember for sure. Anyway, it’s dark now but he’s awake and he feels even worse than he had before he’d fallen asleep, which he wouldn’t have thought was possible. His head feels weird and thinking is difficult. He should do something about this, but he’s in no condition to figure out what.

Genre Specific Characteristics: Story with a lot of imagination; a plot that is simple, clear and brief; illustrations portray the setting and establish a connection to the location, including time and place as well as creating a mood; the theme is related to a child’s understanding and helps them to deal with a problem situation; words are carefully selected to create vivid imagery and mood; elements of humor are mixed it to lighten the mood a little; animals that talk and act like people but still portray some traditional animal traits and setting. Organization: Development of a central theme is strong and meaningful, also a sense of anticipation is developed in the story.

A bonus too, as a co-sleeping family, it has also really helped to teach our son about different sleeping spaces - he’s just upgraded to his own bed (next to mummy’s side of course!) but he understands that if he wants to come into big mouses (our) bed, he can! It’s made the transition that much easier :) He very slowly strips out of his wet clothes and shoes, then dries himself off for a second, much more successful, time. Once he’s mostly dry, he sets about getting dressed. Delightful story about a fearful little mouse who keeps hearing noises - “Sssh, what was that?!” - and is a great book to teach children that the noises you hear at night are usually harmless! It has a good repetitive dialogue which has helped our sons language skills, and the various sound effects which he loves joining in with - when the branch tap tap taps the window, that’s his cue to tap tap tap on our headboard!He wakes up disoriented and hot. At some point he’d burrowed under the blankets, and he spends several frantic seconds trying to disentangle himself from them, nearly falling out of bed in the process. Eventually he frees himself and then lies there, out of breath and staring up at the ceiling, which he can’t actually see because it’s dark. Thinking may be hard, but Eddie’s not stupid even so. He knows he can’t drive like this. So he’ll just have to walk. He knows the way. Probably not, if he’s honest. He still feels physically quite bad. He’s shivering ever so slightly and the achiness and exhaustion are absolutely bone-deep. But. He isn’t alone. This is a really sweet book about a fearful Little Mouse who shares a room with Big Mouse, listening to the various sounds of the quite night, howling of wind, hooting of an owl, tapping of branches and thinking instead that its ghosts, and other imaginary intruders. He asks Big Mouse if he can come to his bed but each time, the reluctant Big Mouse climbs out of his comfortable bed to reassure him that it’s not the case and thinks of a reason why Little Mouse cannot come to his bed. However, having done this for a number of times and finally when Little Mouse says he’s lonely the Big Mouse readily allows him to hop into bed. It’s a fantastic depiction of a young child’s fears ring true while Big Mouse’s patient explanations of comfort provide a forum through which children can safely explore their nighttime jitters.