Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese by Susan Schade -- ESSENTIAL

Schade, Susan Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese, illustrated by Anne Kennedy. EARLY READER. I Can Read (HarperCollins), 2012. $3.99. Content: G.

Riff Raff and his band of mouse pirates are off to retrieve their stolen cheese. Their only clue is that the thief rhymes with "hat." Was it a bat? A rat? Or, perhaps, a cat?

This early reader is filled with adventure, and the mystery of who took the cheese -- and how the mice can recover it -- will intrigue many children. The adorable illustrations, cute ending, and emphasis on team work add to the package. This would be a great addition to a leveled-reader library, accompaniment to a lesson on rhyming, or plain old classroom read-aloud.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn