Mouse and Mole by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by James Mayhew

Mouse and Mole are planning a picnic but there is the problem of the weather. It's a cold rainy day so the pair have to settle for a day inside. Mole is a grumbler. Mouse is an optimist. Mole is always hungry. Mouse likes to cook and share his hospitality. After their day indoors though, the next day the sun is shining. That's great but the house is a mess. Mole ate so much yesterday he decides it is time for exercise so helpful mouse begins to clean up. The pair of friends shift all the mess into the kitchen. It is exhausting so they decide to have a cup of tea before starting their exercises. Oh no - the kitchen is a mess. 

"So together they tidied up the kitchen. They scooped up all the bits and bobs. They gathered in all the odds and ends. Then they bundled them into the bedroom. It took them the rest of the day."

They enjoy their cup of tea with pancakes and treacle. Feeling exhausted they head off to the bedroom deciding to have an early night BUT ... 

Finally, Mouse tells Mole they need to clear away all their "stuff". 

"You can have stuff, or you can have space ... but you can't have both."  

The friends fill three sacks which they take to the rubbish dump BUT the dump is full of such interesting "stuff". 

Mouse and Mole are characters in several books and there are different editions of the stories by Joyce Dunbar so it has taken me a while to sort out this tangle. In my former library we had these books by Wong Herbert Lee which are not related to the books by Joyce Dunbar.

We also had this book by AH Benjamin illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello 

This post is about the Mouse and Mole books by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by James Mayhew but adding to my confusion the Joyce Dunbar books were also released as Corgi Pup titles with a different illustrator - Alison De Vere:

And finally here are the four books by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by James Mayhew.

I have been hunting for the James Mayhew Mouse and Mole books for many years. They are on my wish list but here in Australia the only editions I can find are hardcover and each title costs more than $30 which is way beyond my budget for a slim 27 page junior book so I actually squealed when I saw a paperback copy at a charity book sale last week and it only cost 50 cents! My copy was published in 1993 but it is in great condition.

A new Mouse and Mole book will be released in May, 2021.

Joyce Dunbar is the author of over 80 books and James Mayhew is probably most famous for his books about Katie who visits art galleries and Ella Bella the ballerina titles.

There are lots of stories which contain unlikely friends.  My colleague from Kinderbookswitheverything and I have been collecting them and you can see many in this Pinterest.