Title: Heroes and Friends: A Hot Summer Day
Author: Rod Mortenson
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-7950-0
Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure
Pages: 120
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

Read Book Review

Author Rod Mortenson has assembled a multi-chapter children’s book titled A Hot Summer Day, about three frisky, fun and adventurous young mice exploring what is beyond their home for the first time. With gallant bravery such as indicative of The Three Musketeers, plus playful antics more like The Three Stooges, readers will adore the personified personalities of Curly, Spike and Squeeky as they go into the big forest adjacent to their farm, across the big meadow; a place where all sorts of new, exciting, and sometimes dangerous adventures await.

The author pays particular attention explaining the characters’ real names, and why their nicknames prevail. For example, “Spike” is really Steve, but has spiked hair, Chester’s nickname is “Curly,” the smartest of the bunch, and Mike is “Squeeky” because of his squeaky voice. This personalizes these mice, just as kids reading this know how their own use of nicknames used with their friends are often more appropriate.

The trio trek off from the big meadow into the big forest. Right from the start, the interaction and dialogue of these funny little furry creatures will capture the hearts and minds of the young reading audience. Interlaced with simply illustrations, which are kept to what I would say a minimum, this book uses the “artistic palette of the mind” to envision the places in the forest – having the words and dialogue used as the paint. This is an ideal way to morph readers from heavily laden picture books many are accustomed too, into more descriptive and mature reading styles. In fact, each of the chapters would comprise a short children’s book if written in a book series. Combining them together in this one book brings a larger, multi-chaptered book, adding the next step with the children’s reading development.

With a cast of funny, yet sometimes dangerous encounters with other animals; such as a raven becoming a predator, a bear being a strong life-saving hero, and an eagle offering a hold-on-tight flight over the trees, there is creatively abound with page-turning excitement. The narrative is written with an influx of humor which portrays the characters in such a clever way, readers understand just how much fun Rod Mortenson enjoyed writing this book as readers will have reading it. One funny part is when these mice are eating blueberries, and they call them “MUMPFRBBLERBYS!!” I guess they haven’t yet learned not to talk with their mouths full.

A Hot Summer Day is a gem of a youngster’s book – ideal for any new reader to have on his or her shelf. There are even some fun quizzes at the end of the book to be enjoyed with parents or friends.

The combination of adventure, humor, interleaved educational trivia about life in the forest, combined with just the right amount of artistic drawings and easy-to-read typestyle, makes this one book not to be missed. Our Kudos go out to “Grandpa Rod” for hitting this one over the fence and – well, into the forest!