Written by Susan Yost-Filgate and lavishly illustrated by Leonard Filage, this 32-page hardcover book follows Rip Squeak, a good-hearted mouse, and his animal friends as they discover a map tucked away in a book of pirate stories. Determined to find the treasure, they set out on a marvelous journey. Along the way they encounter some colorful new characters and discover that the word “treasure” can have more than one meaning.
TDmonthly Review:
What Is It?
Rip Squeak the mouse and his sister Jesse have just made friends with Abby – a kitten who luckily doesn’t eat mice – and Euripedes the frog, whom they consider to be a fine actor. One day, Euripides finds a treasure map hidden inside a book of pirate stories. The four friends decide to dress as pirates and find the treasure. In the course of this 32-page hardcover book written by Susan Yost-Filgate and lavishly illustrated by Leonard Filage, the little gang befriends a number of other animals -- all of whom have a different conception of what a treasure is.
What We Thought
The warm and lovely paintings in the book make Rip and his friends nearly walk off the page. Big-eared and bright-eyed, the little mouse brother and sister are perfect surrogate selves for small children who like to be adventurous, but still want to stay safe, and surrounded by friends and family. Parents will have a great opportunity to create real and funny characters as they enact the hammy frog Euripides, the cautious kitty Abby, ebullient little Rip and sentimental Jesse, along with their new friends.
Why They’ll Want It
Kids will probably wish that Rip Squeak were real, so they could cuddle up with him in bed as Mom and Dad read about his adventures. The paintings are fully of lovely details to keep kids engaged and bring them into Rip’s make-believe world. Children will appreciate how well the friends get along, and that the treasure they find is something that can send the gang onto new adventures. They’ll especially appreciate the moral of the story, which is that the best treasure of all is wonderful friends.
-- Alison Marek, 10/24/05
