Many thanks to Amélie of Amélie’s Bookshelf for recommending this terrific book.  It provided a great opportunity to talk to my kindergarten students about authors and illustrators and whether illustrators always had to draw or paint the pictures to a book.  In this case, Olivier Toppin has taken photographs of stuffed animals with real props in order to illustrate the book.

As I read this to my kindergarteners, they were held in great suspense, some said they were even scared as we read it.  Trust me, this is a very gentle book with a kindergarten-sized villain and two really good guys, named Benjamin and Bumper.

When Benjamin’s mom goes off to do errands and doesn’t return, Benjamin and Bumper set out to find her.  Luckily, they are very practical animals, packing lots of tools that they might need for their search and rescue mission, including: their scooter, ropes, ladders, a sewing kit, a fishing pool and some tools.  When they discover that Mrs. Middlemouse has been captured by the terrible Sir Pouncelot, they’ll need all these various things in order to save her from becoming an ingredient in one of his dinner casseroles.

Will Benjamin and Bumper be able to save Benjamin’s mom?  Will Sir Pouncelot learn a lesson?  Tune in to this, the first of the Benjamin and Bumper Adventure series, to find out!