| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-05-01 | | Illustrator: | Cheryl Shaw Barnes, Peter W. Barnes |
| Size | | Height: | 11.3 in | | Width: | 9.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 15.2 oz |
Publisher's Note Uses a tale about mice disagreeing over laws requiring that all mice eat the same cheese every day of the week to introduce readers to the workings of the Supreme Court.
Industry Reviews Gr 3-4 Using a blend of information and story and an often-forced verse that doesn't scan well, the authors attempt to explain the history and workings of the Supreme Court. They load readers up with a quick overview of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, presenting a lot of relevant terminology in quotes ("bench," "case," "oral arguments," "clerks") without providing clear definitions. Then they describe a scenario in which the mouse Supreme Court rules on the question of whether the Mouse Congress can decree that a different kind of cheese must be eaten on each day of the week. While the process of trial, discussion, research, and decision handed down is in the correct order, the information overload is intense. Cloying, cute mice in suits and dresses, rendered in black line, watercolor, and colored pencil, are seen against the vast and detailed architecture of the Court. The visuals and subject matter overpower the attempted humor and lightness of the text. Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Fox
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