5.0 out of 5 stars poets and writers will relate A lovely little illustrated story which poets can relate to including poems from the poetry mouse. Lily Lawson

"King and Kusma take the ordinary and transform it into breathtaking." Literary Titan ★★★★★ Editorial Review A little mouse named Evie lived in a quaint little town near the forest. This little mouse spent her days baking, mending clothes, and keeping her home neat and tidy. However, these things are not what gave her joy in life; instead, she did these things because that is what was expected of her. Evie's real passion, which she spent hours daydreaming about, was writing poetry. One day she heads off to the woods with her paper and pen in hand; she spots some rabbits and composes a poem about them there. From there, she writes more until she ends up at a bench talking with Brayden Fox. Now Brayden recognizes that Evie is talented and encourages her to think about what she really wants in life and focus on that, not on what other people think she should be doing with her time. The Poetry Mouse, written by Derek R. King and Julie L. Kusma, is a beautifully written children's story and collection of poetry intertwined together to create a whimsical book that children and adults can enjoy. The story of Evie the mouse is cute and adorable, with the watercolor images illustrating the pages. This is a story of self-discovery, breaking out of the mold that society says you must fit into. For children, it teaches them that they do not have to fit into stereotypical molds and that they can follow their passions in life and be happy. It encourages children to dream and take action to make those dreams come true. The second half of this marvelous book is Evie the mouse's poetry. Placed on the pages in the illustrations of her journal, it adds to the feeling that the little mouse is composing and sharing a part of her dream with readers. Each poem written about nature is filled with passion and wonder. The poem about the owl gliding through the night sky was my favorite. I can envision the downy feathers as they glide to the earth as the Owl moves across the moon's silhouette. The poetry is organic, drawing the reader into a moment in time. They will glimpse nature in its pure form for that one breath of time. It is not often such simple poetry that can have the power to make you stop and visualize a single moment that, had it been mentioned any other way, would have been mundane. King and Kusma take the ordinary and transform it into breathtaking. The Poetry Mouse is an astonishing children's poetry book that will bring joy and wonder to children reading the story and looking at the beautiful artwork. Adults will find a more profound message in the story, one of following your dreams and stopping to appreciate the simple things in life. This storybook is one that readers will want to own and keep on the shelf for years to come.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story This was a lovely story to read. Evie, a mouse, works at her sewing and such to make a living in her pink house at the end of a lane. She yearns to write poetry and escapes for walks in the countryside. Her pen never stops, and everything she sees, she writes a poem. Mr Fox helps Evie to understand that she is a very good poet, giving Evie the boost she needed to take her poetry down to the post to send to a publisher. This book inspires. Mary Schmidt