Alexandria LaFaye, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
In this installment of the Babymouse adventures, the young mouse is headed for the beach. School is out and she's ready to become a "beach babe" by learning how to surf on a family vacation. Meanwhile, her little brother struggles to win Babymouse's affections. Told with humor, energy-filled illustrations, and a fun weaving of animal fantasy and psychological realism, this cute, quick read packs a lot into its graphic novel format. We have Babymouse and her misadventures on the beach fleshed out by her active inner life filled with daring adventures and humorous recollections. This fun-filled story is coupled with the challenges of an average sibling relationship. Her younger brother gets carsick on the trip to the beach, and later eats too much on a trip to the carnival to add some gross, true-to-life humor. He's also insistent on playing with his sister, who doesn't have the time for him until she nearly loses him and realizes he could make her beach adventures even better. With heart, humor, and a good dose of vomit, this book has it all. It's great fun and a quick read; kids will no doubt enjoy every frame. 2006, Random House, $5.95. Ages 7 to 10.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 8))
The little mouse with the big personality skips through a third set of mini trials and triumphs, presented in two-color graphic novel-style panels. Having daydreamed her way through the last day of school ("Good-bye, dumb fractions!") and even cleaned out her locker, Babymouse bounds eagerly into the car for a getaway to the beach. But what with crowds, surfboard wipeouts, sunburn, the odd shark and trying to keep adoring little sibling Squeak at arm's length (which isn't quite far enough to avoid the fallout, so to speak, of occasional bouts of motion sickness), the vacation starts to look like a big fizzle: "Typical!" to quote Babymouse's watchword. Pairing short bits of text in a "hand-lettered" font to small but clear scenes drawn with dark lines and pink highlights, the authors tell a quick, funny tale that ends on a warm note, with Babymouse discovering that wipeouts are more fun when shared with her biggest little fan. Emergent readers will cheer "Babymouse!" right along with Squeak. 2006, Random, 96p. Category: Graphic novel. Ages 6 to 8. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adrienne Liu (Library Media Connection, October 2006)
This is an excellent example of siblings getting along no matter their age, circumstances, or gender. The story centers on Babymouse and her excitement when she discovers that her family is going on vacation to the beach. But a few days later she complains that there is nobody for her to play with. This breaks her younger brother's heart, causing him to run away, and forcing Babymouse to realize her mistake. The story ends happily with the two of them getting along and having fun. The simple story, coupled with simple two-tone drawings, will lure the reader in. However, the drawings sometimes look crude and unfinished. The artists chose not to use varied line weights to make the illustrations more compelling, nor did they decide to close many of the lines. Even with these few flaws, the story is charming and can be used as a learning tool. Readers of all ages would enjoy the story and wit of the writers. Children should plan on reading the rest of the series as well. This would give the reader more of a feeling of the character Babymouse and her family. So enjoy all of Babymouse's adventures instead of just this title.[Editor's Note: Also available in a library bound edition (0-375-93231-3).] Recommended. 2006, Random House Books for Young Readers, 96pp., $5.95 pbk. Ages 8 to 12.