Have a Good Trip, Mousse!
CCBC Review:
This follow-up to A Day with Mousse offers a change of pace for our long-nosed, striped protagonist. One rainy morning, Mousse finds few seashells during his morning hunt and even fewer friends at the beach. When he learns that everyone is on summer holiday, Mousse decides to take a trip to the South. There he experiences pleasures (“velvet” beach sand, balmy weather, an ice cream shop on the terrace) and drawbacks (crowds, sunburn). He invites his walrus friend, Barnacle, to join him, and the two sign up for a spa package. The mud bath is delightful—until a new guy, Felix, rudely dives in, creating a splash. Mousse is annoyed and jealous when Barnacle befriends Felix, and things come to a head when Felix laughs at Mousse’s nickname. But there’s unexpected reconciliation—and even connection—when Mousse and Felix later discover a shared interest in collecting seashells. The vacation culminates in a delicious shared meal. “I have never had … such a great trip!” Mousse declares to his two friends. “To summer vacations!” Soft, colorful, funny illustrations round out the story, showing a world filled with animals and animal-adjacent creatures. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by
Claire Lebourg
Translated by
Sophie Lewis.
Translated from the French. Originally published in France.
CCBC Age Recommendation: 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Arguments/Conflict
Friendship
Jealousy/Envy
Vacations
Publisher:
Transit
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 58
ISBN: 9798893380057
CCBC Location: Fiction, Lebourg