Toast, a little field mouse, knows that his birthday is just around the corner. And in the days leading up to it, he wants to know just how many sleeps there are to go. As the birthday preparations gather pace - delivering the invitations, collecting the party treats, and helping Mummy to decorate the birthday cake, Toast can hardly contain his excitement and when he discovers there is just one more sleep left until his birthday he is almost fit to burst! This infectiously happy story that charts Toast's crescendo of birthday anticipation has a lovely sub-plot: Daddy is doing his best to finish Toast's present on time and, for him, the passage of time brings a rising sense of panic! The present is a little scooter, with a sycamore seedcase for handlebars and rosehips for wheels - children will love picking out the visual clues in the artwork as they watch Daddy assemble the components and gradually discover what it is that he is making. And, when Toast's birthday finally arrives, all's well that end's well in this adorable mouse tale - and the day lives up to everyone's expectations!

 

 

There are 32 pages in this book.

This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).

This book was published in 2011 by Oxford University Press .

Amber Stewart works as a book editor in England where she lives. Laura Rankin has illustrated several picture books. She lives on the Maine coast in the USA. Layn Marlow grew up in Essex. After studying history of art at Reading University, Layn began her career working in libraries. She lived in Belgium for several years but it was on her return to the UK that she enrolled as a mature student at Southampton University and received a first class degree in illustration. Layn now lives in Hampshire with her husband, two children, a hamster and a goldfish. For relaxation she loves listening to the radio, knitting and karate!