Reviews
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'A beautifully written and charming book for early readers, ‘Mice Make the Best Friends’ is a story in verse about empathy, friendship, and loyalty. Following on from her first offering ‘Oh no Joe’, L.L Wolfe continues with her theme; the relationship between animals and their humans.
This time, Tilly, a kind Grandmother coaxes Violet, a needy but stubborn little mouse in from the outside as the weather begins to turn cold. What follows is a heartwarming tale as Tilly and Violet become firm friends. However, life is full of twists and turns and Tilly is faced with a quandary as she is invited to go and live with her extended family. What will become of their new-found friendship?
Complemented nicely by gently drawn illustrations in pastel, Wolfe’s rhyming delivery is soft and soothing, both in content and delivery. The lilting prose creates a cosy atmosphere, wonderful for quiet time and bedtime reading.
Nevertheless, Wolfe does not shy away from ambitious vocabulary, but rather uses challenging words in context within her narrative, allowing young readers to build their own internal glossary. Including a healthy amount of content in her storyline also encourages young ones to become readers rather than just observers; the verse encourages memory retention, which in turn supports recognition of letter and word patterns.
Furthermore, ‘Mice make the best Friends’ is a story that teaches the best of human qualities, such as compassion and empathy, and how to remain loyal within relationships, qualities that can be transferred easily to the life of the reader, whether these be with their own pets, their siblings, or their friends.
For centuries, writers have used parables and stories to teach valuable lessons; Wolfe continues this beneficial and constructive practice in this lovely tale, creating a perfect vehicle from which parents, carers and educators can teach their young charges.
A heartwarming 5-star read, ‘Mice Make the best Friends’ is unreservedly recommended.'
'A worthy and equally lovable follow-up to ‘Mice Make the Best Friends’, ‘Tea for Tilly’ sees Tilly and Violet reaching out to make new friends in their new home. The preparations go swimmingly, until latecomer Camila spies Violet perched on the armrest of Tilly’s chair.
What follows is an amusingly told riot of hysterical reaction, which sees all of the guests departing hastily despite Tilly’s gentle reminder that mice are loving creatures and nothing to fear.
Wolfe’s splendid narrative tells a story of acceptance and belonging in both the human and animal worlds and provides a fresh look at the deep-seated stigma of difference. With a soothing and tender narrative that has become familiar through previous stories, she uses humour and empathy in equal measure to create a beautiful tale with a very important message.
Just as Tilly loyally stood up for her friend Violet in the previous book, Violet reciprocates by braving the huge wide world to deliver a message to the prideful Camilla; her words strike a chord, as Camilla sees Violet for her huge heart and not her outward appearance. All ends well as the friends reunite and accept Violet into their friendship group.
Wolfe’s illustrations compliment her lyrical words seamlessly, with cute images which perfectly tap into the emotions of the characters, facilitating young readers to learn how to build non-judgemental connections and broaden their capacity to empathise and become more compassionate. Furthermore, her thoughtfully constructed storyline promotes the development of moral and ethical principles, and the knowledge that others’ happiness is affected by our actions, and nurtures positive thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards others.
Interestingly, Wolfe chooses an age group less written about in children’s literature, giving them insight into the world of older relatives in their own lives separate from their role as Grandparents, thus providing valuable cultural capital in a broader social context.
However, apart from the profound message found amongst its pages, ‘Tea for Tilly’ is quite simply a charming story, perfect for all little people out there, along with their not-so-little loved ones. A five-star read it is an unreservedly recommended Golden Quill read!'
