When I woke up this morning, I tickled Mousey's belly. But Mousey didn't move...
Haris and Ormerod handle with great sensitivity the delicate subject of a child's first encounter with the death of a beloved pet. Additionally, the small optimistic details in the illustration (the boy's mouse slippers, a cloth mouse toy) offer a glimmer of hope, while the stability and consistency in the depiction of the characters, especially at the point where the child-narrator seeks comfort from his parents, reassure young readers by creating a sense of calm.