Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores by James Howe, Amy Walrod (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Best friends Horace, Morris, and Dolores are adventurous mice who do everything together: They "sail the seven sewers," climb "Mount Ever-Rust," and dare to go where no mouse has gone before. But everything changes when Horace and Morris join "Mega-Mice," a club that doesn't allow girls. They don't really want to be apart from Dolores, but as Horace points out, "A boy mouse must do what a boy mouse must do."

Left with no other choice, Dolores decides that "a girl mouse must do what a girl mouse must do," and resolutely joins the "Cheese Puffs," herself. Despite missing each other, Dolores and the boys each go to their respective clubs, day after day. Finally, Dolores decides she's had enough. While the other dainty members of the Cheese Puffs are discussing "how to get a fella using mozzarella," she boldly announces, "I'm bored." Sick and tired of making things out of cheese, and desperate to build a fort or do something adventurous, she quits the club. Ultimately, a girl named Chloris joins her, and together, they convince the boys to go exploring with them. The final page of the book depicts all of the mice together, in front of a new clubhouse — where everyone is allowed.

Filled with bold, bright, humorous illustrations that complement James Howe's clever text, HORACE AND MORRIS BUT MOSTLY DOLORES is an empowering book for both girls and boys. It stresses the importance of being true to yourself — and to your friends — and reinforces the fact that girls don't always like doing "girl stuff" and that boys and girls can have plenty of fun playing together. Insum,this fresh and funny book encourages kids to do what they like to do — rather than what others say they should like.

From the Publisher

Horace, Morris, and Dolores have been best friends forever. They do everything together — from sailing the seven sewers to climbing Mount Ever-Rust. But one day Horace and Morris join the Mega-Mice (no girls allowed), and Dolores joins the Cheese Puffs (no boys allowed). Is this the end? Or will Horace and Morris but mostly Dolores find a way to save the day — and their friendship?

Publishers Weekly

"Walrod makes a showstopping debut with her visual accompaniment to Howe's lighthearted prose. Together they invent an enchanting mouse trio that pokes fun at the way gender roles needlessly impose limits and derail friendships," said PW in our Best Books citation. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Three young mice--Horace, Morris and Dolores--go everywhere together; they are "the greatest of friends, the truest of friends, the now-and-forever-I'm-yours sort of friends." Walrod makes a show-stopping debut with acrylic-and-cut-paper collages that show the brave trio raiding a milky bowl of cereal and in a circus ring riding on a cat's back toward a flaming hoop in accompaniment to the text: "They dared to go where no mouse had gone before." But the fun stops when Horace and Morris join the boys-only Mega-Mice club. "What kind of place doesn't allow girls?" Dolores wonders, standing alone outside the boys' stronghold. She goes next door to meet the all-girl Cheese Puffs, pictured in a sugary-pink cottage with a heart-shaped window. They sip tea, strategize on "How to Get a Fella Using Mozzarella," and look askance when Dolores proposes that they build a "Roque-fort." However, Dolores finds a kindred spirit in Chloris, and the two found a third, all-inclusive group with a much-relieved Horace and Morris (and a fifth mouse named Boris). In lighthearted prose, Howe, author of the Bunnicula and Pinky and Rex books, points out that "girl" and "boy" behavior need not be mutually exclusive and pokes fun at the ways gender roles needlessly impose limits and derail friendships. Walrod amplifies Howe's tribute to the ebb and flow of enduring friendship with paintings of the bipedal, childlike mice divided at the crossroads to the two single-sex clubs and united at the entrance to a cave in the closing adventure. Readers can only hope this is just the beginning for Horace, Morris and Dolores. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Children's Literature

Horace, Morris and Dolores are fast friends, that is, they were until the day that Horace and Morris decided to join a "no girls allowed" club. Dolores reluctantly strikes out on her own and joins a girls-only club. The friends finally come to their senses (joined by new pals Chloris and Boris) and form an "everyone invited" club. The familiar theme of being left out will resonate with the target audience. The characters are anthropomorphic mice, entertainingly depicted in acrylic paints and collage, and the text contains plenty of appropriately cheese-y puns.

Children's Literature

The anthropomorphic mice are having lots of non-sexist fun here until the boy mice decide "a boy mouse must do what a boy mouse must do," which involves joining the Mega-Mice Club, where no girls are allowed. So Dolores joins the Cheese Puffs, no boys ditto. The not-so-subtle lessons of exclusion and the folly of "all-boy" and "all-girl" activities come through the gentle humor and appeal of the characters. Howe enjoys coining words like Mount Ever-Rust and Roque-Fort; Walrod adds to the fun with details like a Swiss cheese flag and a blackboard with chalked plans for "getting a fella using mozzarella." Her highly stylized mice and their object-filled environments fill the double pages with handsomely designed compositions combining acrylic paint and collage.

Library Journal

K-Gr 3-The friendship of three mice is put to the test when Horace and Morris join a boys-only club, and Dolores must hatch a plan that transcends gender boundaries. A jaunty tale, complete with comical collage art. (Mar.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-A male narrator reads James Howe's popular story (Atheneum, 1999) about best mouse friends and intrepid adventurers Horace, Morris, and Dolores. Their friendship is tested when Horace and Morris join a club that doesn't allow girls, and Dolores is left to adventure alone. But, "a boy mouse must do what a boy mouse must do," and soon Dolores joins the girls only "Cheese Puffs" club. Dolores gets bored with the lack of adventure and, joined by another girl mouse, heads to the boys' clubhouse to rescue Horace, Morris, and the equally bored Boris. The five mice explore together and learn that the best clubs include everyone. Jason Harris provides a spirited reading complete with humorous voices for each character. The story is accompanied by music and sound effects that enhance the book's illustrations. Side one includes page-turning signals, while side two contains an uninterrupted reading. On the CD, track 1 contains the page-turning signals, while track 2 does not. A great choice for school and public libraries.-Shauna Yusko, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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