Little Nelly's Big Book (of Knowledge) by Pippa Goodheart

Ill. by Andy Rowland. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2012. Pbk. ISBN 9781408818459.
This is a classic story of a little knowledge being dangerous. Nelly is reading a book she has discovered that tells her that mice can be grey, can have big ears and skinny tails - just as she does, so she must be a mouse. But is she? The problems start when she also reads that mice have homes behind skirting boards and she decides to go home for a nap. The reaction when she puts her head into the mousehole is unexpected but heart-warming and works well until Nelly gets hungry. Scoring 10/10 for ingenuity and wisdom, Granny Mouse has a solution that gently and diplomatically helps Nelly discover her real identity.
This is an engaging book with a fabulous twist in the tale that, apart from being a great read, opens the door for some great beginning information literacy activities such as a compare-and-contrast and early investigations. And it gives the definitive reason for books for little people always having pictures! (Which, in itself, is another investigation . . . )
Barbara Braxton