Once there was an inside mouse and an outside mouse. One day they both went on a trip. They traveled up, down, across, around, through, between, behind, over, and under, until they finally met in the middle. Hello! Are they old friends? Or new friends? Did they just meet today? Or do they visit every day? And what do you think might happen next to the inside mouse and the outside mouse? PreSchool-Grade 3-A narrator introduces readers to two mice: "Inside my house there is a mouse,/Outside my house there is a mouse." The inside mouse sleeps in an old-fashioned clock, while the outside mouse snuggles in a tree stump. Line by line, with side-by-side, full-page illustrations, the story unfolds, tracing each mouse's journey from its home to the window of the house, where the two meet face to face, one looking out and one looking in, and say "Hello." Gouache paintings in breathtaking colors create zoom-lens views of each of the not-so-different worlds of these two creatures. The pictures are packed with interesting details just waiting to be explored. The simple text, presented in a large typeface at the bottom of the pages, compares and contrasts the animals' environments and lifestyles. The overall effect is mesmerizing, and the intriguing parallels will capture readers' imaginations. This creative book makes a great choice for sharing aloud and for independent reading. It's also an excellent tool for teaching the concept of compare/contrast. -Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. PreS. George's tale of two mice introduces one who sleeps in the clock and runs between socks in a drawer. His outside counterpart lives in a tree stump and races between rocks. The oversize volume is devoted to pointing out the differences in the way the mice live, what they eat, where they hide, and who their enemies are. But this is not a country mouse/city mouse story. Yes, the mice are adorable, but they aren't humanized-- at least in the story itself (they do, however, touch paws on the cover, and one plays a trumpet on the endpapers). Facing pages depict how their existences differ due to where each one lives. This display of difference, though informative, would have become boring, were it not for George's precisely rendered paintings. The mice frolic against jewel-toned backgrounds so exquisitely detailed that children can spot a tiny bug on a leaf in the background and individual hairs on a cat's coat. Unusual perspectives also add visual interest. Ilene Cooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “Mesmerizing. Will capture readers’ imaginations.” - School Library Journal “Readers will delight in the mice’s curiosity and determination.” - Publishers Weekly “Exquisitely detailed.” - Booklist Once there was an inside mouse and an outside mouse. One day they both went on a trip. They traveled up, down, across, around, through, between, behind, over, and under, until they finally met in the middle. Hello! Are they old friends? Or new friends? Did they just meet today? Or do they visit every day? And what do you think might happen next to the inside mouse and the outside mouse? Lindsay Barrett George is widely recognized for her striking illustrations of animals, birds, and fish in their habitats. She is the author-illustrator of Maggie’s Ball ; Alfred Digs ; The Secret ; Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse ; In the Garden: Who’s Been Here? ; and four other Who’s Been Here? titles. Lindsay Barrett George lives in northeastern Pennsylvania with her dog, two cats, and a very handsome duck.