Gabriel Evans, The Mice and the Shoemaker. The Five Mile Press, 1 September 2015, 18pp., $29.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781760064273
Gabriel Evans has created a new Christmas pop-up book by rewriting The Elves and the Shoemaker. He has replaced the elves with a family of mice who have lost all their belongings and been driven out of their usual cosy woodland home by a flood. This is why they finish up staying with their Grandpa who lives under the floorboards of a cobbler’s home. Grandpa has been well looked after by the cobbler and his wife but he is too old to do anything to repay them, but of course, the visiting family thinks of a way to do this. The story concludes with its own neat little twist.
The book itself charmingly captures the feel of an older version of such a text both in the style of illustration, the colours used and the design of the setting, while the popup structure of it will enable young fingers to interact with the story as it is read to them. Suitable for young children 3-7 years.
Reviewed by Sue Clancy