Babymouse #4: Rock Star

Babymouse #4

by Jennifer L. Holm

Babymouse is a legend, a siren, a rock star…at least in her own mind. Babymouse is a typical kid (aside from the whiskers and tail) with a big, big fantasy life to help her through the hazards of public school life: school buses, broken lockers, bullies, math class. But then there's her beloved band. She has music in her soul, if not actually in her flute. This year, though, things are going to be different. She's going to be the star of the concert. Or at least move up from last chair.

The sister-and-brother team of Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm have attained perfect pitch with Babymouse, who stars in her own series of graphic novels, including Babymouse: Queen of the World and Babymouse: Beach Babe. Illustrated in black and white for her humdrum daily existence, the scenery turns decidedly pink as Babymouse stage-dives into her imaginary world. Reluctant and avid readers alike will happily devour every book in the series, and wait eagerly for more. --Emilie Coulter

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Comics, Animals, Middle Grade, Fiction, Humor

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Jennifer L. Holm is a USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling children's author with nearly 10 million books in print. She is the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE and a Scott O'Dell Award for her novel FULL OF BEANS.

Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on three bestselling graphic novel series -- the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series, the SUNNY series, and the Squish series. SQUISH is now an animated tv series on YouTube!

For more information, visit her website at www.jenniferholm.com.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Babymouse books in my opinion. Babymouse dreams of being a rock star, which who hasn't. What I really like is that she chose to play the flute. I am a flute player too and so is Babymouse. Yay!

I think her daydreams are great in this one. This is a fun series for young adults.

[Lstirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lovable heroine of this graphic novel for the pint sized set is sure to delight.

Ages 7-12

A very pink and fantastical graphic novel featuring a sassy, fun-loving mouse, this book is a fun and entertaining read for the elementary aged student. It switches back and forth between over the top, giant, appealing fantasy and a reality that is easy for kids to identify with. The daily, ordinary issues Babymouse deals with, such as a pesky little brother and wanting to be first chair in the band are things most kids of this age group have to deal with, and Babymouse deals with them by turning to her larger than life fantasy world, where she is the star.

Quick to read, and with enough drama and action to delight the reader, Babymouse: Rock Star is a fun little story. This is by no means great literature as the story is thin and the extra characters flat. The plot is predictable and has a standard ending, but for young kids, this is an excellent transition from the familiar picture book to a longer, more complex story.


Publishers Weekly

PW said of Babymouse, the star of brother-and-sister team Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm's new graphic novel series, "this personable, self-conscious mouse, with her penchant for pink hearts, resembles Kevin Henkes's Lilly, with some extra years of grade-school experience." Now she tries her hand (paw?) at being Babymouse: Rock Star. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

It is true, this character is reminiscent of Lilly, with a little attitude and a lot of charm. This review is fairly brief, so there isn't much to comment on.


Children's Literature

In this book by the brother-sister Holm team (no pun intended), Babymouse has music in her soul... but only sour notes in her flute. The title is misleading, as the book begins with a rock star fantasy but quickly segues into just another day. It is Babymouse's fanciful imagination that steers the disjointed story along, as one event triggers a fantasy, then the next (unrelated) event inspires another. On "another boring" Wednesday, Babymouse gets caught in the eye of an imaginary tornado and finds herself in a Wizard of Oz parody; a flute-playing fantasy transforms Babymouse into "The Famous Pied Pipermouse" who succeeds in ridding the land of rats only because her music is so bad they run in the opposite direction. For reasons that remain unclear, the apparently rich and talented Penny Poodle offers to help Babymouse become a better musician. Under Penny's tutelage, Babymouse's imagination goes into overdrive (including an homage to The Sound of Music) but her flute-playing does indeed improve. There are many more compelling and/or entertaining stories available for young readers and better graphics to go with them, but maybe that is the point. In a time when what you see is not always what you get, Babymouse is unpretentious fluff, pure and simple.

I am not familiar with other graphic novels, so I don't have anything to compare, but I do agree that Babymouse IS unpretentious fluff. But, sometimes that is the joy in reading for children, and this book does offer an escapist fantasy.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Babymouse is spunky, ambitious, and, at times, a total dweeb. In this fourth book in the series, she daydreams of being a rock star, and her concerts and world tours are illustrated in shades of pink. Meanwhile, in her ordinary life, she enchants the audience at a student concert with her flute playing, but never gives up her dreams of stardom on the big stage. The illustrations, both pink-toned and black and white, are clever and uncluttered, making them easy to follow for a young audience. They do a fine job of showing the emotions of the endearing young mouse and her friends.-Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

I don't really find the illustrations 'uncluttered,' as I had a tough time sometimes figuring out what the picture was OF. However, they are cute and charming.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Babymouse in small doses. I find the books to be very hit or miss though, and this definitely is not one of my favorites. I wanted to give it as a Chanukka gift, but I'm worried it's not quite right for a six year old (who reads much past her age/grade level). Some of the themes and action are great for younger readers and some a bit more suited to younger middle grade audiences I think. But, who knows.

Anyway, in this book Babymouse plays the flute and she wants to play with the school band, but she can't make a non-squeaky sound on it. Meanwhile, she's having her usual troubles with Felicia Furrypaws, and falling into her trademark fantasies, which I often find charming, but in this book they felt a bit forced.

Also, Babymouse kicks her younger brother in this book. I know this is cartoons and that's relatively normal cartoon behavior, but zoiks, my niefling has a younger brother and not sure her parents will appreciate that.

[Aryanamarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was cool.She was also imaging. In reality she goes play an interment she plays the flut. But turns out she is really bad like really bad. But it was funny how she thought that she was a real rock star.

[Mindee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In her daydreams Babymouse is a famous musician. She plans to start the journey toward making her dream a reality by becoming the best flute player in her school band. Unfortunately she is last chair...for the second year in a row...and constantly gets teased by big, mean Felicia Furrypaws. No matter how much she practices, Babymouse just can't seem to improve, until she gets a bit of advice from Penny Poodle. Now Felicia is last chair, and Babymouse in on her way to greatness.

Babymouse Rockstar is a cute book. The comic book style layout was fun and worked particularly well for Babymouse's daydream sequences. The allusions to classics such as The Wizard of Oz, and Elvis were fun and helped to keep the story interesting. I would have loved it when I was in elementary school and I can see why my daughter and her friends are so fond of the whole Babymouse series.

[Sarah-Rae Bugayong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. I would not use it as a teaching tool but it would be good to have in the class room library. I like how the picture were primarily white, black, and pink. This book is good for a little girls with vivid imaginations.I thought it flowed really nicely, but it was easy to follow which surprised me. The setup of the book while skimming through it the first time looked very confusing. But it was nice to see that it was not that hard of a read. I liked the volume, since it showed kids that all because they know something it does not mean they are good at it, their has to be passion behind it. Even though you do not need to read the other books to understand the other, I'm willing to read more of this series.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babymouse dreams of being a rock star but she has to make it through school band first and avoid getting picked on by Felicia Furrypaws. When Penny Poodle falls victim to one of Felicia’s attacks, she agrees to help Babymouse play her flute out of revenge. The story alternates between Babymouse’s imagination and reality, with witty allusions to well-known stories like the Wizard of Oz and the Pied Pieper. Readers will also enjoy the tongue-in-cheek interaction between Babymouse and narrator, who tries to keep Babymouse’s paws firmly on the ground. The black and white illustrations with splashes of pink are simple and humorous.

[Hawa Adaweh · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about babymouse trying to be a rockstar!!!!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is a rock star!

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annika chose this book because her cool fifth grade friend likes the series. Funny (though many jokes went over her head), quick story.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in 5 minutes. I work at 2 libraries; I've checked out sillier books. :)

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it shows you should not care of what other people think and that is a important message so I gave this book 5 STARS!

[erica marin]

i want to reread these all but like all i have to say is my obsession with these as a child explains so much about who i am today

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Rock Star (Babymouse #4)
Author: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Genre: Graphic novel
Theme(s): Imagination, determination, friendship
Brief Book summary: Babymouse is an incredibly outgoing and determined young mouse. When she prepares for playing the flute in the school concert, Babymouse develops her dream of becoming a rockstar.
Professional Review 1: "Grade 2-4–Babymouse is spunky, ambitious, and, at times, a total dweeb. In this fourth book in the series, she daydreams of being a rock star, and her concerts and world tours are illustrated in shades of pink. Meanwhile, in her ordinary life, she enchants the audience at a student concert with her flute playing, but never gives up her dreams of stardom on the big stage. The illustrations, both pink-toned and black and white, are clever and uncluttered, making them easy to follow for a young audience. They do a fine job of showing the emotions of the endearing young mouse and her friends." – Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library
Professional Review 2: "The sister-and-brother team of Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm have attained perfect pitch with Babymouse, who stars in her own series of graphic novels, including Babymouse: Queen of the World and Babymouse: Beach Babe. Illustrated in black and white for her humdrum daily existence, the scenery turns decidedly pink as Babymouse stage-dives into her imaginary world. Reluctant and avid readers alike will happily devour every book in the series, and wait eagerly for more." -- Emilie Coulter, Amazon
Response to Professional Reviews:
I agree that the illustrations are simple but compliment the story. I like that the author kept it black and white, but threw in pink to make it fun and add personality. The pop of color adds a contrast from the black and white to point out important scenes or events in the story.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
I love how the Babymouse series is like an art project. The illustrations are fun and every page looks different, which is a huge contrast between the traditional comic book layout. This keeps readers excited and engaged in the story.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
Babymouse is a great example of an alternative assignment for fourth grade students. I remember being given the option of making comics, websites, articles, or diary entries for projects. This book could be an example for students on how to make an interesting and fun comic.

[Jerri Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Junior Book – Graphic Novel

2. Babymouse takes the reader on yet another adventure. This time she wished to be a rock star. We find out later that she just wants to learn to play the flute instead of squeaking and screeching so she doesn’t have to be last chair this year in the school performance.

3. a. Content and Illustrations
b. For me this book does not have enough content in it for being a chapter book and doesn’t really flow well. I was also not crazy about the illustrations due to the fact that the black and white would have been fine but the pink made it a little distracting and I love pink!
c. Example: When I say content, I cannot pin point exactly in the story because it is the story throughout. The entire work lacks what I call the “meat” of the story. It does not flow well either. For instance, Babymouse goes from fantasy to fantasy throughout the beginning of the book before the story of what the book is even about really begins (which is about her playing the flute in the school concert). As far as the illustrations go, I felt like they were alright for a graphic novel. I just would have left out the pink. For instance, on pages 28 and 29, I felt as though I was drowning in Pepto-Bismol.
4. I would not use this book in my classroom for any curriculum connections. I think that younger female students may enjoy this series so I would keep in it my classroom library for them to read. It would also be another good example of a graphic novel.

[Katelynn Callahan]

This graphic novel was about Babymouse and her dreams of becoming a rockstar. She plays the flute and has never been very good at it. During band class she has always been last chair and even though she is not very good she is always practicing to become better. Babymouse is determined to succeed at the flute. After class one particular day, there is a sign up sheet for tryout for the school concert. She instantly gets excited and decides to audition. Over the next couple of days she practices all the time and wants to beat out her enemy to get into the concert. After getting down on herself for not being very good, one of her friends decides to help her. Her friend was a great musician and teaches Babymouse to play from the heart and feel the music. In the end she makes it into the concert and blows everyone away with her beautiful music.

The story is in the form of a comic book and follows Babymouse throughout a couple of days through her life. I think it is a good story for kids because it is relatable. It has a good theme that teaches kids that if they work hard enough they can succeed. I think that it is ideal for a younger age group and girls would probably enjoy it more. The pictures are mostly black and white with the occasional pink. The pictures are not always enticing but they do a good job of telling the story with a limited amount of words.

[Brooke Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of the Baby Mouse until I started taking a children's literature class at Arizona State University. The baby mouse books has the same main character though out the series but she is put in different situations. In this particular book, Baby mouse is a rock star. It tells the story of Baby Mouse and how she started playing the flute and the struggles that she goes through with school. She isn't the best at playing the flute and everyone keeps telling her that. Baby mouse starts to dream off and think about how life would be if she was really good at the flute and if she was a rock star. Her day dream ends and she is brought back to reality, and eventually has a happy ending. The illustrations are fantastic and help really bring the story to life. You can see the different things that Baby Mouse is feeling and seeing through out the entire course of the book. This is an excellent book for young readers to read because the illustrations are good for them to be able to follow the story line. I recommend this book to many different types of audiences and know that they won't regret reading it.

[Lauren Moses · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading BabyMouse Rock Star I have to say I am not impressed at all. This book was book 4 in the BabyMouse series. I am unsure if it being the fourth book accounts for my confusion while reading or it was just the writing style. BabyMouse is written as a graphic novel which I feel is the reason I didn’t like it besides the lack of a good story line. I felt at a loss while reading this graphic novel. It jumped from place to place. One point she was a rock star and then stuck in school and then there was a scene right out of the Wizard of Oz. The entire story just did not make sense to me. What I did make out while reading was that BabyMouse was dreaming of becoming a rock star by playing the flute but she wasn’t a very good instrumentalist. She never gets her dream of becoming a rock star but she does become a better flute player by the end of the story. I do not recommend this book to others school age children in 2nd or 3rd grade might find it more enjoyable than I did. Maybe if I was younger I would have liked the constant back and forth of the story line but as I look at it now I do not.

[Livvie Esslinger]

Babymouse is in band practice at school, and this gives her the dream of wanting to become a rockstar. However, she is absolutely horrible at playing the flute, and is the worst player in the band. Felicia Furrypaws, is Babymouse's worst enemy and is also in the band. The thing is that she is a better flute player than Babymouse. Although she dreams and practices hard, she keeps getting worse and worse. She is determined to not be the worst player in the band again, like last year. When she helps Penny Poodle, Penny reveals that she is a good flute player and begins to teach Babymouse how to play. On the big night, everyone cannot believe their ears when Babymouse plays perfectly!

I thought this was super cute! I have gained a new respect for graphic novels this semester. This series, especially, is very entertaining, and an easy read.

I think this book would be great to have around a classroom! Graphic novels, in general, would be. I think it attracts girls, but would be good for boys, as well.

[Jackie Pino]

The fourth graphic novel in the Baby Mouse series, Rock Star follows Baby Mouse through her struggle to become a world renowned musician. A terrible flute player, Baby Mouse simply wants to beat out bratty Felicia and not be last chair in the flute section for the concert this year. Finally, Baby Mouse is helped out by a good friend and learns the secret to playing.
Throughout the graphic novel, Baby Mouse does a lot of fanaticizing that can be difficult to follow. There is not always a clear indication to help readers recognize when they are in one of Baby Mouse’s fantasies or in real life. There are also many references to other stories that young children may not understand. In the end, children may be entertained by this graphic novel because of its format and because they will get a laugh out of how bad Baby Mouse is at playing flute; however, as they read through it, they may get confused at times.

[Nicole Dylewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Babymouse Novels is a series of books about a mouse. In each book she aspires to be something outrageous. For example, she wanted to be a queen and now she wants to be a rock star. But in reality, who doesn't try to be a rock star when they are younger or even older? These books are really cute and will always put a smile on little kids faces but also inspiring. Although Babymouse wants to be a rock star she can barely play the flute well enough in her school band. She practices extremely hard so she doesn't have to sit in the last chair again and be out shined by her rival Felicia Furrypaws. Does she have time to practice and be the best musician on stage? Or will she crumble and crack under pressure. Read this book to seethe out come. This is a good book for children to read because it will teach them to never give up on their dreams and if they really want something they have to work hard and practice if they want it that badly.

[Tawny Angerame · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel Babymouse written by Jennifer L. Holm is about a mouse, Babymouse, dreaming of becoming a rock star. However, with the only thing going for her being band class, she struggles to find her music playing skills. Yearning to become a rock star, one must decide which instrument they would like to perfect on. Babymouse chooses the flute to perfect. She is nowhere near how good she wants to be at playing the flute. This leads to her practicing day in and day out. At the concert, she blew everyone away. Babymouse even surprised Felicia, her all time enemy. This is a good book for children because it shows them to never let your dreams get away from you. No matter how impossible those dreams may seem at the time. You can do anything you set your mind to! I definitely give this novel thumbs up and would recommend it to almost anyone.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Babymouse Rock Star (2006) Babymouse is a young girl with an active imagination. While her imagination has her on stage with thousands of fans screaming her name. The reality is she is on the bus going to school trying to avoid a bully. Babymouse seems to get through a long day of school by falling in and out of her dream sequence of being a rock star. The black and white illustrations are shaded with the use of pink on every page. Sometimes there is a large amount of pink to shade and add definition to the illustrations. Then other pages have one tiny spot of pink to highlight something in the story. For example, Penny Poodle’s mushroom pink hair. The pages with many panels show the emotions of Babymouse and the action of the story nicely. Target audience independent readers ages 7-10 years old.

[Ryane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby mouse wanted to be a rock star!!!She thought of being a rock star. She played the flute but she was not good at it. But one of her friends was a amazing flute player and had a bunch of trophys. So baby mouse was walking in the hall way and saw a poster for a concert and she wanted to do it but not be the last chair. she signed her name up and went to her friends her friend said to use hers so she did. she said to play it. She started to play and it was bad so her friend said to think of you as a rock star all alone and playing so she started to play and it was amazing. So she went to tryouts and she was smiling when she was done but wouldn't talk. the night of the talent show she was not the last chair, then they started to play and she did wonderful. she was the star of the show and she felt like she was a rock star. THE END!!!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Babymouse series by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. The plot centers on Babymouse trying to learn to play the flute and avoid being named as the last chair at the band concert. I thought the literary references were fun and I loved that she was humbled by another flutist.

Our youngest really likes these books. They are quick reads and she's read two of these books in the last couple of days. I'm sure that we'll quickly read through this series.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babymouse dreams of being a rock star but she has to make it through school band first and avoid getting picked on by Felicia Furrypaws. When Penny Poodle falls victim to one of Felicia’s attacks, she agrees to help Babymouse play her flute out of revenge. The story alternates between Babymouse’s imagination and reality, with witty allusions to well-known stories like the Wizard of Oz and the Pied Pieper. Readers will also enjoy the tongue-in-cheek interaction between Babymouse and narrator, who tries to keep Babymouse’s paws firmly on the ground. The black and white illustrations with splashes of pink are simple and humorous. 3-6 grade

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babymouse is determined to move herself up from next to last chair in the flute section of band. But the noises that she manages to make come out of her instrument are less than musical. Will she disgrace herself again, or can she become the musician she dreams of being?

As a flute player myself, I really enjoyed this Babymouse. Probably one of the things I appreciated the most was that Babymouse held the flute correctly, you wouldn't believe how many illustrations show people/animals holding a flute incorrectly. This one also has an encouraging message for young readers to persevere and keep practicing.

[Cc Fortenberry]

This is one of a series of Babymouse books. This book is about Babymouse learning to play the flute. She starts out being absolutely horrible, but she wants to be a rock star so she practices and practices and practices. She finally practices enough to get first chair while her rival is last chair and Babymouse rocks the show like a real rock star.

I liked this book. I loved the pictures and illustrations. I loved the way Babymouse imagined her life as a rockstar, I thought it was super cute.

I don't think I would use this book in therapy because some of my clients might have a hard time following it.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

741.59 Holm. It's a little odd that the writer/illustrator/publisher chose pink as the only color besides gray and black with which to create this book. Pink appeals to young girls, but the subject matter Baby Mouse dreams of, in and out of her reveries between her real life and imaginary, is more suited to 4th through even 7th grade. Baby Mouse's daydreams, commentaries and dealings with the bully Felicia Furrypaws are fun and funny. I totally related to the parents and grandparents at her flute recital. I'll be reading the series.

[Morgan Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babymouse dreams of one day of being in a rockstar band, but right now the only thing going for her is band class. Babymouse plays the flute and has lots of problems and never seems to practice. She dreams in heart of playing music, but when she plays her flute nobody wants to hear her play. Then Penny Poodle a rich and popular kid offers to help Babymouse with her music playing skills. Babymouse gets all caught up in this dream and then realizes that it's more important to be who you are and not to be who you are not.