Come join Milton on a brand-new adventure: his first day of school, where he discovers that change can fun as school becomes a place where friendships and learning last.

A chase, a ride, a chase and hide, and Milton the mouse lands in new territory: the Stewart household. The wily escape artist has the run of the house until one fateful night when he is caught. What do you do with a mouse that hitches a ride home from a camping trip? Feed it? Turn it loose in a strange landscape? Will Milton be happy in captivity? The children give him a cage, a nest, a wheel, and water. Matt plays Beethoven on the piano for him, and Kathleen composes a song about him. “O fie my wandering mouse, how thou dost stray” is all that Dad will say. Milton is content until one day the wild life beckons again, and he escapes. How will the children find him? Will they discover Milton's secret?

One bright morning, Mouse discovers a whole new world. There are colors to paint with: red, yellow, blue and letters to spell with: A B C and best of all, new friends to play with! Wherever could they be?

Fresh, fun ideas for children's storytime fill this book. The author, a long-time storytime facilitator, has put together 52 weekly themes plus additional plans for holidays, all with detailed instructions for talking about the theme and choosing the books, crafts, songs, poems, games and snacks. Each storytime idea is illustrated with photographs of a suggested craft and snack for easy reference. Libraries, bookstores, preschools and parents alike can use this book to offer themed storytimes that include discussion, literature, art, music, movement and food. Options are provided for each storytime, so the ideas can be used year after year.

A lonely little mouse has to be resourceful to bring his family back together. In a series of delightfully imaginary achievements, “nobody’s mouse” transforms himself into the beloved hero of his mother, father, sister, and brand-new baby brother. In their very first collaboration, Robert Kraus and Jose Aruego give charm and validity to one of childhood’s more difficult experiences. Tender and catchy, Robert Kraus’s rhyming text, combined with Jose Aruego’s large, vibrantly clever illustrations, makes for a storytime classic.