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Bernelly & Harriet : the country mouse and the city mouse / Elizabeth Dahlie.

by Dahlie, Elizabeth

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Boston : Little, Brown, c2002.

1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 cm.

Dahlie (Henrietta, 1999) updates the classic Aesop fable with understated humor and delicately detailed watercolors. The reunion of the two very different cousins is sparked when Bernelly, a fly-fishing instructor who lives 'west of the city in a small village that has everything a mouse could need-except a shoe shop,' discovers that her boot has 'sprung a leak.' It's the perfect excuse to visit Cousin Harriet in the city. A series of vignettes shows Bernelly, in knee-high black boots and jaunty red scarf, preparing for her journey. When she arrives at the station, Harriet, a famous artist dressed in periwinkle pumps and matching shawl, immediately sweeps her up: ' 'Darling-Bernelly-so-good-to-see- you-I-have-missed-you-so,' she said in all one breath.' This time, a series of vignettes shows the two traipsing all over town. By the time they find Bernelly's boots, she's exhausted. When Harriet asks if she now sees the superiority of city living, Bernelly snaps 'No!' and invites Harriet to return to the country with her. 'Perhaps it will inspire me,' says Harriet. But in scene after scene, Harriet appears hopeless. She tangles her line while fly- fishing, looks positively dismayed when Bernelly takes a nap under a tree, and appears bored to tears as the guests at Bernelly's dinner party tell 'tales of trout.' When Bernelly asks her what she thinks about life in the country, Harriet admits that it's not quite her cup of tea. But she has found the inspiration she was seeking. The final illustration shows Harriet busily painting portraits of city landmarks. An endearing adaptation. (Picture book. 4- 8); 32pg. VNU EMEDIA, c2002.-

PreS-Gr 2-This modern take on the classic story features delicate pastel-toned gouache illustrations. Bernelly lives in the country and works as a fly-fishing instructor. When she needs a new pair of boots, she decides to go to the city to get them, and visit her cousin Harriet as well. After a week, poor Bernelly is overwhelmed, and she invites her cousin back to enjoy a relaxing stay in the country. Harriet, however, is not impressed with fly-fishing, gardening, or dinnertime full of long stories about trout, and is even happier with her city home when she returns. Dahlie's illustrations are breathtaking, often creating beautiful landscapes from the merest hints of shadow and color. It is slightly disturbing to see that, while Bernelly endures her stay in the city with a smile, Harriet spends the entire time in the country with a condescending expression on her face. This stereotype aside, the cousins' affection for one another shines through, and this beautifully illustrated rendering of the story will find a home in larger collections.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia (unpaged) CAHNERS PUBLISHING, c2002.-

KK 04/01/2002 0489

PW 02/18/2002 0095

Updates Aesop's fable as Bernelly, a fly-fishing instructor, is introduced to the excitement of city life by her cousin, Harriet, who then accompanies Bernelly to the peaceful countryside in search of artistic inspiration.

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