Mouse on the River

In this exquisitely illustrated novelty picture book with die-cut flaps, we follow Mouse from woods to estuary to visit an old friend by the seaside.

This gorgeous follow-up to the award-winning Mouse’s Wood accompanies Mouse on a new adventure – from the woods, down a gently flowing river to the open sea – to visit an old friend. Detailed illustrations feature many plants and animals for children to identify, and the atmospheric rhyming text winds down to a peaceful conclusion perfect for bedtime. Taking place over the course of twenty-four hours, the gently rhyming story tracks the changing environment of the river’s banks, the shift from day to night, pleasant weather to rain and back again, and introduces a whole new cast of friendly characters who wave to Mouse on the way, including beavers, water voles, and water fowl aplenty. Mouse travels by a willow coppice, a riverside town with a lock, a river island, a reed bed, the estuary, and the river mouth before finishing up the journey on the shore of the open sea. Illustrated by Alice Melvin, who has spent hours drawing directly from nature to make the book, Mouse on the River is sure to win over readers with its charming characters and intensely detailed scenes. A nature spotter’s guide is also included at the back of the book.

Author Biography

Alice Melvin is an award-winning illustrator and product designer based in Edinburgh. Her picture books for children, including Grandma’s House, The High Street, Counting Birds and An A-to-Z Treasure Hunt, have together sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. In 2022, Mouse’s Wood won the GOLD Award: Best Pre-Schooler Book 3-5yrs, Junior Design Award.