Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt

Voigt, Cynthia Young Fredle, Illustrated by Yates, Louise. 240 pgs. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011. $8.45.

Fredle is a young gray house mouse who is very comfortable in the world he knows. When he finds himself outside of the house, Fredle discovers that the outside world is a very different place. For the first time he experience loneliness, hunger, cold, and fear. But his innate sense of curiosity allows him to also experience awe, excitement and adventure. In a series of adventures around the farm, Fredle finds out how to faces his fears and discovers that it’s up to him to break free from the dated customs he grew up with.
This book features easy to read language with some subtle life lessons, but the story itself seems tediously long. The characters and plot did not keep my interest. The attempt to describe the outside world from Fredle’s sheltered point of view was a bit irritating, as the reader figures out what is being described long before the mouse does. The author introduces a concept of death/being pushed out the nest when too old or injured, which is referred to as ‘went’. However because this word also functions as a commonplace verb, and is used a lot without any form of differentiation (like italics or a capitol letter), it became a huge tripping point for me.
EL ELEMENTARY –OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Stephanie MLIS graduate.