Review Detail

DOUGLAS is the story of a mouse who lives at the theater. She often likes to eat the snacks dropped by the Woman with the Large Hat who comes every week. This week, she spots a young girl, Iris, who is wearing her sister's blue sweater and sneaks inside the pocket. When Iris finds her, she names her after an actor, Douglas. Douglas is in the pocket when Iris's sister reclaims the sweater and leaves the house, launching Douglas on quite the adventure.

Told in a lengthier style, most pages feature a circular illustration with text above and/or below, showing Douglas's journey from theater, through danger, and back to the theater at the end. The images are in duotone with vintage style that are reminiscent of the old movies referenced through the theater.

What I loved: The story is simple and the images equally simple and appealing. The book is written like an advanced picture book, quite a bit simpler than a chapter book, which suits a young audience who is growing too old for picture books. The story line is very straightforward which also helps early independent readers. The animals are very cute, and there are some side stories with a cat and a boy who really wants a pet that add appeal to the book.

What left me wanting more: The story is a little dull in places where not much happens. The text is very descriptive, spelling out every action along the way, which will make it a little too simple for some readers.

Final verdict: With a vintage style reminiscent of old movies, this simple story is great for children who are just passing picture books and looking for something straight-forward and cute, featuring a charming mouse named Douglas.