Library Mouse: A World to Explore

Written by Daniel Kirk

Narrated by Chris Sorensen

Best-selling author Daniel Kirk's children's books include Library Mouse-which Booklist called a "showstopper." In the library, Sam meets a fellow mouse named Sarah, who is quite an explorer. Scurrying along the tops of the bookshelves and scampering around in the darkest corners are some of her favorite pastimes. How different from Sam, who is too frightened to climb! Sam would much rather spend his time learning about new things. In the end, the two can do just about anything if they work together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470355579

Daniel Kirk

Daniel Kirk has written and illustrated forty popular and bestselling books for children, including Library Mouse, which Booklist heralded in a starred review as "fun, fun, fun." He lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. www.danielkirk.com.

Reviews for Library Mouse

[aharey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book to my Kindergarten through 2nd grade students on the first day of their library class. It's a great introduction to the library and they love the character of Sam.

[wishanem · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely and inspirational

"We loved it!", raves my 4 year old. I liked the way that the story encourages kids to write their own books. The art is detailed and bright, in a way that reminds me of Mr. Rogers.

[lsierra19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I totally recommend this book. It is a children's book full of nice pictures and with a great message for the readers. It is about a little mouse that started writing books and invite others to do the same thing. One of my favorite books!

[dms02 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book for showing the ease in which a child can write their own books!

[dukefan86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very clever story! Sam the library mouse enjoys his home in the public library so much, that eventually he starts writing little books of his own. He adds them to the collection overnight, while the library is closed. Sam's books are discovered, and develops a fan base among library staff and patrons alike! :) The library director leaves Sam a letter (not knowing he's a MOUSE) to "Meet the Author Day." Being shy as a mouse, Sam comes up with a creative way to turn the library's younger patrons into authors, themselves. Cute!

[kidlit9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books. But when children find the tales, they all want to meet the author.

[leshauck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great explains everything you need to know about this book.

[danusia_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not a fan of Kirk's flat art work, the story is cute-ish. A mouse lives in a library, reads books at night when all the children go home. After reading all the books, he decides to write his own. The children, coming to finally see who the author is are met with a box with a mirror inside labeled "meet the author". AWWW, cute? not so much.

[acwheeler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot because it keeps you interested in the book the whole time. It is also a self motivating book to teach children how to write books and that everyone can be an author and write their own books if they use their imgaination.

[quicksilvertears · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was very interested in reading this book to my son because the design was boring but as I read the story, I became interested in writing a children's book. My son decided he wanted to make his own scary book like Sam the mouse did. I figure if this book can inspire a four year old to write a book, it must not matter that the design was a bit on the boring side.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good read for younger children. The book demonstrates a love for reading, learning, and libraries. It also encourages children to write!

[kdemott_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't give a lot of five stars but I love this book! Maybe it's because I was a teacher and am studying to be a librarian. Great book if you're trying to get students to write stories of their own. Love it!

[js1102 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good for everyone!

[jtaylo41 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was an awesome read! I would love to read this to my students because it is a very inspiring plot. The librarians and students keep finding enjoyable stories in the morning on the library shelves, however, they are unaware of who the author is. The author of the short stories ends up being a little mouse who lives in a hole in the library wall. The characters are very well developed and are visually detailed in the illustrations. For example, the mouse is personified by wearing clothes and using a pencil to write his stories. This is a great story that expresses to students that anyone can write regardless of your age, height, intelligence, or looks. The main message in this book is that everyone can be an author and has the capability of doing great things! It was a cute way to inspire young writers.

[lmeza-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's nice, especially if you have doubts about writing or not ;)

[mirikayla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Library mouse lives behind the shelves in the library and encourages kids to write their own stories. Very cute.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a huge fan of libraries with over four decades experience getting to know them as well as a patron can. So I loved this. I believe that the children's program described could be very effective. I even believe it could be used for all ages - and could even inspire people who don't think they're creative, like me, to tell stories.

Now I do see that at least one real children's librarian was not wowed by this. But that person did not write a review, so I'm not sure what makes the book less than wonderful from their pov.

And I did have a bit of trouble getting used to the illustrations, especially of the people. But the mouse is adorable and the art is cheerful, clear, and a good fit for the text.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sam the library mouse returns in this third picture-book devoted to his adventures, this time meeting and befriending Sarah, another mouse who lives in the library, and who has a more active approach to exploring than Sam himself does. Although he enjoys the games of make believe that he and Sarah engage in, such as pretending to be ancient Egyptians, Sam's fear of heights at first prevents him from joining her in other expeditions. Fortunately, he is able to overcome his trepidation, and discover a world waiting to be explored...Like its predecessors, Library Mouse and Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale, Library Mouse: A World to Explore pairs an engaging story with bright, colorful artwork. I thought it was an interesting choice, on author/illustrator Daniel Kirk's part, to contrast the exploration one can do through books and reading with that accomplished through play and "real" world activity, demonstrating in the end that both have their place. Recommended to fans of the eponymous Library Mouse and his many adventures, as well as to those looking for children's stories about overcoming one's fears, and getting out into the world to see what it has to offer.

[amassingale-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This cute book is about Sam, the library mouse. He likes to roam through the library and do research about different places all over the world. One night while he was researching, another mouse came and introduced herself. Her name was Sarah and she was an explorer. Sarah told Sam about all of the things that she has seen around the library from up high on the shelves. Sarah invited Sam to come and adventure with her, but he was too afraid so he suggested that they do some research instead. Sarah had never researched before so Sam taught her how to find new information about about the world around her. She later made Sam go climbing with her to do more research, Together, they did more research and adventured all over the library. I would use this in my class to prepare my students to go to the library. To show them what kind of things that they can do while in the library. Genre: modern fantasy

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good sequel with more fun adventure.

[ambourg7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun book to read. It was about two mice who were both opposites of the other. Sam liked to read and do research while Sarah was an explorer and adventurous. Together they taught each other things the other was best at. A friendship was soon formed by coming together and helping the other overcome their fears.