Product Description

Mole loves her burrow near the pond. It's safe and cozy underground, and best of all - it's home. So when Fox says Mole has to move her home to make room for a new path, Mole must do some quick thinking - and digging - to save it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #864030 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-01
• Released on: 2001-01-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Inspired by a Seneca tale, this is a whimsical story of overcoming the might of an adversary through ingenuity. Fox, irritated at having to walk around Mole's hill, sends Skunk and Raccoon to direct her to move by autumn. Clever Mole enlarges the hill, then plants seeds, creating such a lush mound that even Fox cannot bring himself to destroy it; instead, he asks Mole to dig a tunnel so that the animals' path can go through her hill from now on. Once again Ehlert achieves dazzling effects with simple geometric shapes and strong, pure hues. Here, she uses appliques in bright, largely primary colors, often textured with tiny, bead-like dots. Mole's hill is glorious in its various incarnations: unplanted, as concentric rings of red, blue and green against an inky sky; in full bloom, with a riot of flowers, leaves and berries against the iridescent yellow of summer sunlight. And as always, her figures are remarkably expressive, with Mole a model of industriousness and, later, contentment, and Skunk and Raccoon looking quizzical indeed as they wonder "what that Mole is up to." Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-The creator of the acclaimed Moon Rope (Harcourt, 1992) has taken a fragment of a Seneca tale and provided gorgeous, full-page illustrations to accompany her simple text. Fox, Skunk, and Raccoon order Mole to move because her mound of dirt blocks their path to the pond. Clever Mole spends the summer building up and beautifying the hill above her underground network of tunnels, and by fall it is too large to move. Instead, Fox asks her to dig a tunnel through it, which, of course, she is happy to do. Ehlert's collages, inspired by the Woodland Indians' traditional arts of ribbon applique and beadwork, are bold; graphically striking; and rich in form, shape, and color. Perfect for young children, this is an admirable marriage of text and art.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3-7. When Fox finds a mole hill inconveniently placed along his path to the pond, he informs Mole that she must make way. Raccoon advises her, "Better listen to Fox--he's got big teeth." Unwilling to move, Mole plants seeds on her hill. Months later, her beautiful flowers win over the other animals, convincing them to preserve her hill. When Fox asks her to dig a tunnel so that other animals can go through the hill, she agrees. Broad, double-page spreads feature collages of bright, bold shapes against solid backgrounds. Most of the colorful, collage papers are stippled. Notes at the end of the book tell that the story derives from a fragment of a Seneca tale and is set in Wisconsin, with indigenous flora and fauna. As with Ehlert's other books, the artwork reflects careful research and a strong eye for shape and color. Although the book is visually dynamic, the storytelling lacks tension. Still, Ehlert's fans, as well as teachers seeking simple picture books based on Native American tales, will want to consider this one. Carolyn Phelan