Hide-And-Squeak

It’s time for bed, but little Mouse Baby has no intentions of calling it a night. He hides in the garden, he hides in the kitchen…he hides his little whiskers anywhere he can. Anything to keep from going to bed! But Daddy is right behind him, calling “Mousebaby mousebaby, where can you be?” He wants to get his little scamp all tucked in and ready to sleep…but first he has to find him. Young readers will delight in searching the inviting illustrations from renowned illustrator C.F. Payne that perfectly complement Heather Vogel Frederick’s endearing bedtime text.

"Payne's (Late for School) elegant, cinematically styled paintings have a visceral, energetic mischief that brings to mind the best Tom and Jerry cartoons. 'It's time for bed. It's time for sleep./ No more time for hide-and-squeak,' but a mouse baby has other ideas. He leads his bespectacled and clearly willing father on a wild chase through every nook and cranny of the house (yes, the mouse runs up the clock, as well as executes an exhilarating cannonball into the bathtub). Large geometric shapes, subtle but highly evocative texturing, and warm, rich colors anchor Payne's settings, amplifying the baby mouse's inexhaustible energy and giddy transgressiveness, while buoying Frederick's (Babyberry Pie) rock solid, somewhat quaint rhymes ('There's my little rascal,/ hiding in the froth' she writes in the aftermath of the bathtub scene). The spreads are small masterpieces of composition, yet they never feel static; rather, it's as if someone has hit the pause button to briefly allow readers to savor the image's beauty before the story continues on its rollicking way to the bedtime wrap-up. Ages 3 — 6. (Feb.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)

A mouse baby leads his father on a merry game of hide-and-squeak at bedtime.

It's time for bed, but the little Mouse Baby has no intentions of calling it a night. He hides in the garden, hides in the kitchen, hides his little whiskers anywhere he can. Anything to keep from going to bed. But daddy is right behind him --Mousebaby mousebaby, where can you be?-- trying to get this little scamp all tucked in and ready to sleep..

Who will win at this adorable game of hide and squeak? Only time will tail...tell.

It's time for bed, but the little Mouse Baby has no intentions of calling it a night. He hides in the garden, hides in the kitchen, hides his little whiskers anywhere he can. Anything to keep from going to bed. But daddy is right behind him --"Mousebaby mousebaby, where can you be?"-- trying to get this little scamp all tucked in and ready to sleep..

Who will win at this adorable game of hide and squeak? Only time will tail...tell.

Heather Vogel Frederick is the author of the incredibly popular Mother-Daughter Book Club series, as well as the highly acclaimed The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed, The Education of Patience Goodspeed, and the Spy Mice series. She resides with her husband and sons in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at heathervogelfrederick.com. C. F. Payne has illustrated more than a dozen picture books, including the Texas Bluebonnet winner Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy and Turkey Bowl, both written by Phil Bildner. He also illustrated the New York Times bestsellers The Remarkable Farkle McBride and Micawber, both by John Lithgow. He teaches at the Columbus College of Design, where he is the chair of the Illustration Department. C.F Payne lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and children. Visit him at cfpayne.com.