Picture Book Monday - A review of Benjamin and Bumper to the rescue

I have a soft spot for stuffed animals, which is why I was drawn to today's picture book. The characters are all stuffed and felted animals that have been placed in cleverly crafted scenes and photographed. As I read the tale I quite fell in love with the characters and admired their courage and ingenuity. How wonderful it is that we now have more stuffed animal book heroes to enjoy. I am sure Winne-the-Pooh would approve.

Benjamin and Bumper to the Rescue
Molly Coxe
Photographs by Olivier Tappin
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Brave Mouse Books, 2010, 978-0-9819697-1-8
Benjamin Middlemouse lives with his mother in a bedroom wardrobe in an old house. One day, Mrs. Middlemouse goes out to run some errands. She tells her son that she will be back by three o’clock, but at three o’clock there is no sign of Mrs. Middlemouse. Four o’clock ticks by and it becomes clear that something has happened to Benjamin’s mother.
   Benjamin climbs out of his wardrobe home and goes to talk to Bumper, his elephant friend. He tells Bumper that Mrs. Middlemouse is missing. Without hesitation, Bumper says that he will help Benjamin look for his mother. The friends collect supplies and Benjamin piles them onto Bumper’s wide back.
   Cautiously Bumper and Benjamin go to the kitchen. There is no sign of Mrs. Middlemouse, so Bumper asks the Pantrymice if they have seen her.  Posie Pantrymouse says that they saw Benjamin’s mother just a short while ago. Apparently she was on her way to the garden to get a tomato. The problem is that Sir Pouncelot is on the prowl in the garden looking for the ingredients he needs to make his favorite dish – mouse and mole casserole. Mrs. Middlemouse is in grave danger!
   Benjamin and Bumper hop on their home made scooter and out into the garden they go. There they find Mrs. Middlemouse’s errand list, and they pick up her scent. Unfortunately they also pick up the scent of Sir Pouncelot.
   In this wonderful picture book the author takes her readers on a grand adventure.  For the artwork Molly Coxe created beautiful animals out of felt and fabric and they have been placed in a lovely world. Readers will have a grand time exploring the scenes in the photos, and identifying the things that the mice have ‘borrowed’ from humans to make their lives easier.