Mabel and the Big Wide World

By Author / Illustrator

Paul Stewart, Jane Porter

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Otter-Barry Books

ISBN

9781915659279

Format

Hardback

Published

06-06-2024

Synopsis

Mabel the mouse lives in a barn with her brothers and sisters and outside is the big, wide world. The other mice love exploring and playing outside but Mabel is afraid... of great big HAIRY things and teeny weeny scary things. In fact she's afraid of everything outside. "I'll just stay in here" says Mabel. "For ever!" But when a dazzlingly beautiful rainbow appears outside in the sky, will Mabel dare to brave the outside world to get a better look?

The prizewinning duo of Paul Stewart and Jane Porter make ingenious use of the smallest member of a mouse family to tell a heart-warming story about conquering fear of the Big Outside, but also about helping others. They beautifully portray that satisfying moment in every child's life when they can say to a younger sibling, "That's what I used to say..." Going out and experiencing new things can seem scary to start with, but missing out is worse.

Jane Porter's brilliant and lively illustrations perfectly capture how feelings of anxiety and uncertainty can change into delight, confidence and freedom.

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Reviews

Mabel lives in a barn with her siblings and is very happy to stay safely inside whilst her older brothers and sisters explore the world beyond the barn doors. Occasionally she watches them playing, but is never tempted to go and join in the fun. However, when a rainbow appears in the sky, she tiptoes out to get a better look and discovers a world full of wonder to enjoy and explore.

Many children (and their parents!) will recognise the feelings of anxiety Mabel experiences when facing with change or new situations. Mabel and the Big Wide World offers a reassuring story to share with little ones. The story makes the perfect starting point for gentle discussions about what Mabel is missing out on and the possibilities which taking that first step into the unknown can bring. Mabel is shown having a wonderful time as the seasons pass and she is no longer obsessed with the idea of 'great big hairy things' and 'teeny-weeny scary things' which kept her captive inside the barn for so long.

One page does acknowledge that things can sometimes go wrong with a picture of Mabel being chased by a cat, but then shows things are good again after that moment. This again allows for reassuring discussions about coping with the unexpected and moving on, rather than pretending that nothing bad is ever going to happen at all!

Mabel is the one who is able to comfort her siblings when there is a thunderstorm, showing that just as she was supported to overcome her fears, she is now able to do the same for others and when a new littlest mouse joins the family, Mabel is ready to support Marco as he experiences the same worries which she used to have.

The illustrations are colourful, collage-style pictures. Mabel and her siblings, Martin, Marcel, Millicent, Max and Marjorie are all identified on the inside of the front cover, allowing children to spot them through the story and build an idea of their character. Children might enjoy creating their own mouse sibling - or a new family of mice using their own name and others starting with the same initial letter to draw pictures and create stories about. A lovely positive story for sharing!

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher