BLESS THIS MOUSE- (Book Review by Caitlin Smith)

Bless This Mouse by author Lois Lowry.

Hardcover, 160 pages

Published March 21st 2011 by HMH Books for Young Readers 

This was my bedtime read-aloud book with my mom.

This book is about a colony of church mice trying to keep themselves hidden and safe in their home at St. Bartholemew. 

The main character is Mouse Mistress Hildegarde, Roderick(who likes Hildegarde very much & tell her all the gossips) Ignatius who used to live in a library so he knows lot of stuff from chewing through a great number of pages and Lucretia who wants to be Mouse Mistress.

This story is about keeping all the mice safe especially during the Feast of St.Francis because on this day all the animals that people keep as pets is brought to church for a blessing. If it rains it means the blessing will take place inside the church and that is dangerous for the mice especially since there will be LOTS of cats around.

The feast is St.Francis is not their only worry, they have to keep away from the church during the Big X because one of the church ladies had seen a mice and went 'Eeek' and Father Murphy had to call the exterminator. 

There is suspense too in this part of story that you will need to read to see if they will all live or will they be able to still call St.Bartholemew home. That was my favorite part of the book.There is a lesson too about teamwork and forgiveness and that showing kindness to a bully can turn them into being a nicer mice.

I enjoyed this book a lot and there was lots of giggling reading it and the illustrations by Eric Rohmann are beautiful. I especially like the illustrations that explains the parts of the inside of the church and the proper terms used for them.

I would recommend this book for children around 8-10 years of age and anyone who likes animals should read it.