posted on 23 Oct 2023

Maisy’s Big Book of Kindness by Lucy Cousins

I once visited a nursery school in Birmingham where the headteacher was a self-described ‘Maisy addict’. The bookshelves in her office were packed with books starring the much loved fictional mouse and the walls were festooned with Maisy posters. In her defence for what seemed to be a rather over the top obsession, she claimed that she is a character whose range of experiences can be used for almost every topic in the Early Years curriculum. This new addition to the popular series that first appeared in 1990 will definitely be another hit with established Maisie fans and draw the attention of newer readers too.

So, what is the special ingredient that is so appealing? Lucy Cousins is a multi award winning, internationally acclaimed author and illustrator who has a very distinctive bold and colourful style in keeping with the equally popular Dick Bruna. She has also cited the influence of Matisse and Picasso on her use of colour. The resulting design would immediately grab the eyes of young children and their parents in any display of picture books. I would imagine that, once experienced and enjoyed, both would be very receptive to the brand, and be keen to read another one. Optimistic Maisie is a mouse with agency who has plenty of everyday experiences common to all children. She appears to be a thoughtful, patient and wise character who is in control of her little life and is always smiling, whatever happens. The books also include a band of cheerful animal characters who all contribute to the cosy and familiar world.

Every turn of the page is a riot of gorgeous colour with a range of strongly defined different coloured backgrounds to give variety. I can see how young children would be inspired to create their own drawings and paintings using a similar palette.

The theme of kindness is an undisputed value that all parents and Early Years practitioners would hope to explore with their children. Maisie is obviously an expert on the subject and gives excellent examples of how sharing, giving, caring, helping and playing together makes society a better place. I like the way that the author digs deeper into each of these aspects just to check that her readers get the message. So for example we see how Eddie the Elephant can use his trunk to rescue Little Black Cat from a tree. An example of how all the friends can help one another at a barbecue shows that Dotty the Donkey has her leg in plaster because of an earlier incident with a skateboard, when Maisie cares for her by applying a bandage. She is struggling to walk easily so relies on everyone to ensure that she has a good time.

Now that I have spent some time looking more closely at the world of Maisie Mouse, I can see why she is such an endearing character and that her books should be definitely be included in the mix for young children. Now available from Walker Books you will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop- who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Karen Argent

October 2023