Where Is Jumper? [Hardcover]

Take a peek at prepositions while searching for a missing mouse in this clever concept book from the author ofBalancing Act.

The mice can’t find their friend Jumper! They lookoverbranches andunderleaves. They lookbetweenthe weeds anddown intoMole’s tunnel. But still no Jumper. Where, oh where, could their sneaky pal be?

In the tradition of Ellen Stoll Walsh’s beloved concept booksBalancing Act,Mouse Paint, andMouse Shapes, this story explores prepositions through the antics of charming, fun-loving mice.Ellen Stoll Walsh has written and illustrated numerous beloved books for children, includingBalancing Actand the bestselling modern classicsMouse PaintandMouse Count. She lives in upstate New York.Walsh brings back her trademark mice for another concept book (Balancing Act, 2010, etc.). Jumper has disappeared. His mice friends look inside and outside a cave, below the fallen tree and up among the branches, and even down in Mole's tunnel. No Jumper! Ishe playing hide-and-seek, or has a sneaky weasel got him? Wait, something moved underneath the leaves…and out pops their friend. The book has two levels: one is an engaging mouse story about friendship, and the other is a simple grammar tutorial that incorporates prepositions into the story. As the five mice scurry about, the descriptions of their actions are carefully composed of prepositions. Preschoolers won't care about parts of speech; they'll simply enjoy the mice adventure. However, language teachers will find this a clever device and a springboard for kids to craft their own stories using prepositions. Walsh's familiar collage artwork keeps the tale, like her character, jumping. Children will enjoy spotting bits of Jumper concealed by rocks and leaves on their second and third trips through the book. Walsh has a knack for creating illustrations and text that seem ever so simple yet have plenty of acumlƒ½