Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Book Review: Merry Stirring Mice: Santa's Secret Team By Cynthia Dreeman Meyers

Merry Stirring Mice: Santa's Secret Helpers

By Cynthia Dreeman Meyers 
Publisher: Beckham Publications Group 
Published: Sept.16, 2014
ASIN: B00NNWXLTO

Amazon Synopsis:

Not many people know about the secret part of Santa’s team. 

In a colorful, charming moment-by moment description, author Cynthia Dreeman 
Meyers shows us what really goes on the night before Christmas. 

Watch Mama Mouse and Daddy Mouse show their kids—Max and his little sister Molly—how to prepare for the man. 

“Max, come away from the door please and help your sister stir the candy-cane mix,” Mama Mouse begins. 

Soon come the sugarplums, the candy canes, and finally the note that says, “For Santa.” 

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My Thoughts:

This cute little story explains how all the sweets Santa leaves in each Christmas stocking get there since they’d be crushed if he brought them in his gift sack. Rather than Santa bringing the sweets, mice around the world work as a secret part of Santa’s team to make the sweets for him.

We watch a young mouse family as they make preparations for Santa’s coming. They create sweets such as candy canes, sugar plums and all other manner of goodies. Max wishes their part in Santa’s team wasn’t a secret so that children would think they were cool.

As the story plays out, we find that the mice’s part in team isn’t a total secret as they are left with a reward for all their hard work. Plus, when Santa leaves, it is Max and Molly’s turn for gifts and their favourite Christmas story just as the sun is coming up over the horizon.

The illustrations in this book are quite well done. They are colourful, fun to look at and have the added challenge of having a spider to find on each page. Also, if you look very carefully, you might even find out what the spider’s name is.

Some of the pages have print only. These pages are beige with black print, offering a good visual contrast. The pictures with illustrations sometimes have print on them. The print is generally white unless black print will provide better contrast. This will be very helpful for any children who have visual problems and require good visual contrast.

I like the good, clear font the author chose as it looks the same as if the words were printed. This will make it easier for children who are learning to read if the letters (such as “a” and “g”) look like the ones they write.

I enjoyed this fun little Christmas story for children and I think your children will enjoy it too. I gave Merry Stirring Mice: Santa’s Secret Team a rating 5 stars out of 5.


Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Cynthia is a preschool music teacher, the creator and founder of her hometown's annual Christmas Tree Festival (fundraiser for the local Senior Resource Center), and a retired trial attorney. She is also an award-winning Christmas-tree decorator. In fact, the inspiration for “Merry Stirring Mice” was a tree she created for the Tree Festival several years ago, adorned with mice uncharacteristically stirring on Christmas Eve. During class trips to the Festival, Meyer invented a story to go with the tree about Santa's secret team of mice, stirring all over the world to make candy for the stockings. Children and teachers loved the story, encouraged Meyer to write it down, and that's how it all got started.

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