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Carlo the Mouse #1

Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse

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Grab your boots and hold on to your hat, because you are in for an exciting trip! The new series of Carlo the Mouse has been born. Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse is the first in a series of books on Carlo's adventures. Each book will give readers an entertaining look into the life of a little mouse born inside a hospital's walls. Clever, curious, and very impatient, Carlo the mouse dreams of the world outside the hospital. His parents teach him how to follow the rules and how to survive on his own, but Carlo's insatiable desire for adventure constantly gets him in trouble. Will the little adventurer manage to survive when he leaves home? You'll find out in Mrs.D.'s next books on Carlo the mouse. Let your imagination soar in this full series of Carlo's adventures!

40 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2013

514 people want to read

About the author

Mrs. D.

46 books420 followers
Olga D'Agostino (known as Mrs. D.) is an award-winning children’s author (recipient of multiple Mom’s Choice Awards, Beverly Hills Book Awards, and International Readers’ Favorite Awards). She lived and worked in Lviv, a cultural center in western Ukraine, before immigrating to the United States in 1992. In 2012 she published her first children’s book, and since then she’s pursued a career as a writer, focusing on writing children’s books that have meaning and provide valuable lessons. She speaks many languages, loves reading, writing, gardening, and traveling. Her award-winning illustrated children’s books include The Trees Have Hearts, Good Morning, World!, The City Kittens and the Old House Cat, Runaway Clothes, The Little Girl Praying on the Hill, and The Royal Palm. She lives in Smithville, NJ, with her husband, Patrick. They have four children and four grandchildren. Her unpredictable calico cat, Nyda, was the inspiration for many of her stories.

Published children's books by Mrs. D. include:

The Trees Have Hearts
The City Kittens and the Old House Cat
Good Morning, World!
Runaway Clothes
Runaway Clothes: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Royal Palm
The Little Girl Praying on the Hill,
The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet
That Is How Things Are
That Is How Things Are: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
Baby from the Moon
Who Will Feed Stacey First? Story 1
What’s Going On Inside the Fridge: Story 2
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge? Story 3
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge: Coloring Book for Kids
Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse
Carlo the Mouse, Book 2: Now We're Talking!
Carlo the Mouse, Book 3: What's Going On?
Carlo the Mouse, Book 4: Rules Are for a Reason
Carlo the Mouse, Book 5: Nothing Is Safe in a Mouse’s Life
Carlo the Mouse, Book 6: That’s My Life!
The City Kittens
A Taste of Bread
Somewhere Between Two Worlds

Cat Who Wonders by Itself,
What is GOOD and What is BAD?
Where Did Grandpa Go?
My Grandpa Is a Werecow

Her books are available in print on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and as e-books for most popular e-devices.

The full series of Carlo the Mouse and her new novel, The Chinese Princess will be published in the near future.


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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Mrs. D..
Author 46 books420 followers
May 23, 2014
On my journey as a children's book writer, I have met many wonderful people. A few months ago I was lucky to meet an amazing mother of two boys who live in Moscow, Russia. Olga Guseva purchased all my published books, including my first book, Carlo The Mouse on Vacation. Since then, she and her boys, Vladimir and Serogza, have become my fans. Vladimir and Serogza are studying English in one of Moscow's schools. To my huge surprise, one day their wonderful mother purchased Carlo The Mouse on Vacation for Serogza's entire class. There is no better award in the world for any author than seeing children reading books.

I am very happy for Carlo The Mouse, who has found a home in one of Moscow's schools and made ​​friends with second-graders. A million hugs to my little friends from Moscow for taking good care of Carlo. My deep gratitude to a wonderful mom, Olga Guseva, who made ​​it happen. I could not be happier or more thankful for her sweet pictures and for making my life brighter. In addition, Serogza wrote a little story about Carlo's adventures in Moscow after he read Carlo The Mouse on Vacation. It was my pleasure to shape, develop and translate his cute story into English. READ HERE: http://mrsdbooks.blogspot.com/2013/10...
Profile Image for Olga Guseva.
9 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2014
Dear Mrs. D.
Finally magic happened! Amazon delivered a long awaited book, Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse! Children are happy, parents are thrilled, and baby Carlo is over the moon! The story immediately drew us into a life of the baby Carlo, who made us wonder page after page. At the end of the story, my younger son knew all five rules by the heartbeat! The only regrets we have that this book finished on the most interesting spot, but it gave us an opportunity to discuss the story again and go over the beautiful illustrations, which made this book memorable and fun to read. Now I understand why your little fans like Carlo the mouse. As a grown-up, I fell in love with this adorable character the moment I looked at the first illustration. I had as much pleasure reading this book as my son did. Sometimes, a sample book like this one, gives more to a child then books chosen by the school experts. Now we could hardly wait what the next book will hold. Thank you so much for making our children happy. Because of books like yours, our children will grow up happier, kinder, and smarter. Great story! Wonderful artwork! Astonishing children’s book!
Profile Image for Stacie.
Author 6 books97 followers
April 5, 2014
Carlo the Mouse is a brilliant story about a little mouse who is eager to grow up and the parents who are so sure he's ready.

Carlo lives in a hospital with his parents. He has a great love for food and will risk almost anything to get it. This causes his parents tremendous worry as the hospital cook would like nothing more than to trap mice he finds in his kitchen. This doesn't stop Carlo from dreaming of adventure. His mother finally decides it's time to teach him the rules of the world, but Carlo is to anxious to listen. Is he really ready to be on his own?

Carlo the Mouse is a charming tale of an adventuresome mouse who often times finds himself in trouble. Children will adore Carlo and find his antics humorous. They will also understand the importance of following the rules, even if Carlo doesn't. The illustrations are vibrant and eye-catching and add to the playfulness of the story.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Carlo the Mouse.
Profile Image for Rosie.
Author 18 books33 followers
August 17, 2018
Such a fun book! "Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse," written by Mrs. D is a book readers will really love! Carlo doesn't want to stay in the walls with his mom and dad at the hospital. Even though it's the cleanest place to live, he wants to explore the other rooms, and of course the world! I can't wait to read book two. The illustrations are so adorable which enhances this story that much more.
Parents and teachers will love this as a read loud. I can only imagine all the fun discussions it will bring.
Profile Image for Renee .
408 reviews711 followers
April 15, 2014
Carlo the Mouse: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse is the first book in a picture book series by Mrs. D, centred around a young mouse who is just becoming independent and is allowed to explore the hospital he was born in for the very first time. But his anxious parents are only willing to let him go once he understands “the rules”. Of course all of these rules (e.g., “no messes”, “avoid the manager’s office”) are put into place to ensure the little mouse’s safety, but Carlo is not so sure he needs all these rules. Nonetheless, once he learns all the rules, Carlo opens the door and races off in search of his first adventure.

One of the most difficult things a parent must do is to allow their offspring to go off on their own to explore their environment. We as parents (as did Carlo’s parents), prepare our children the best we can by setting out the boundaries (e.g., “don’t go past the block”) and the rules (e.g., “don’t talk to strangers”). Many of the rules Carlo is expected to abide by are quite amusing (e.g., “only visit the patients watching the cooking shows), but many also mimic the type of rules any child should obey, especially with regards to pointing out certain areas to avoid.

I think children will relate to Carlo as he shows his eagerness to explore the world. I also think parents will recognize themselves as the “overprotectors” of their children. There are many comical moments featuring the panicking parents. Carlo, of course, thinks his parents are making up these rules for no reason (as our children often do); but, this is just the first book, so I’m eager to see where Carlo’s adventures will take him and how the rules will come in to protect him. I feel like there was a long introduction to Carlo, much ado about the rules, but I would have liked to see Carlo go off on an adventure in this book. I guess that’s what the next books are for!

The illustrations in the book are absolutely beautiful. All the pictures are bright and colorful and the kids will love how Carlo is depicted as an adorable little mouse. Lovely!

My Bottom Line:

Carlo the Mouse: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse is a beautifully illustrated book and fun introduction to the title character, who is about to set off on his first adventure, despite his overly anxious (and comical) parents setting out “too many rules” for young Carlo to follow. I recommend this book to children aged 4+ who have a longer attention span (due to high word density on each page). This book would also be a great choice as a read aloud book to a school classroom or in a library reading circle.

* I received this book free-of-charge from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for K.r. Morrison.
Author 18 books122 followers
December 9, 2013
The first memory Carlo the Mouse can recall is that of the tantalizing scent of Italian cooking. Born in the basement of a hospital, he is privy to the smells of the kitchen, and this shapes his life and his dreams.

Anxious to get to the heart of where those delicious smells are coming from, he is a constant source of frustration to his parents. Always with the questions, always wanting to travel to unknown places and eat the food there.

Finally, to the relief of the entire family, Carlo is old enough to explore on his own. But first, his parents sit him down and tell him The Rules. There are things he can and cannot do, all of which are important in order for him to make it back home with his life intact.

Will Carlo listen to his parents? They are afraid he won’t remember, but they have to let him go. Some things have to be learned on a personal level, and not second-hand. All they can do is hope, and leave a light on.



Another gem from Mrs. D.! This is the first in a series of several books, and the titles of those are just as intriguing as this one. The interchange between the characters goes beyond just rules and regulations. Even small children will see just how caring and loving this family is with each other. There are definitely different personalities, and conflicts, as in every family. Carlo’s is one that answers those challenges with love and firmness.

The pictures are adorable! Every facial expression, every nuance of action, is so well-thought-out. The colors are appealing, and the story’s lesson is simple enough for even the youngest of readers.

There is a challenge here in some of the vocabulary used in the book. I welcome that. The youngsters who get this story read to them are privileged in this regard, for they can learn new words and what they mean. A child whose vocabulary is extended beyond his or her comfort zone is a child who will learn and grow into an intelligent adult.

I highly recommend this story, and hope that I will get the chance to read more of Carlo’s adventures.
Profile Image for Grampy.
869 reviews48 followers
November 26, 2013
Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite.

“Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse” by Mrs. D is absolutely stunning in both its graphics and the lessons it teaches.

Carlo is a baby mouse (mouselet?) who eats like a horse. He lives with his family inside the walls of a hospital, and virtually wears out his parents as they try to find Carlo enough food. Carlo not only eats a lot, but he has a vivid imagination, far above your average mouse, I’m sure.

Carlo smells the different foods cooking in the hospital kitchen, and imagines travelling to all the various countries represented by the Chef’s repertoire of recipes. On spaghetti night he thinks about visiting Italy. On taco night he imagines a trip to old Mexico. Don’t even get me started on the French food! Carlo just knows there is a big, beautiful world out there, and he wants to see it all… NOW!

“Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse” is, obviously, Book 1 in a new series by the very talented Mrs. D. Several of the subsequent books are already well along in the publishing process, and it is abundantly clear this series is going to be a big hit.

There isn’t a young child in the country – maybe in the whole world – who would not be totally captivated by the brilliant colors, the amusing illustrations, and the anxious little mouse who just wants to “get out there” and see the world. As well done as this book is, I strongly suspect Carlo WILL see much of the world from inside Kindles all over the planet, and from the windows of bookstores the world over.

Mrs. D. has an innate gift for writing stories that appeal to children. Carlo and Mrs. D. have a great future ahead of them! I very much recommend this book and this series for all the little children you know. Christmas is coming, and Carlo is packed and ready to go! Mickey had better watch out... there's a new mouse in town!
Profile Image for Barbara Ann.
Author 21 books187 followers
March 19, 2014
This is the first of a series of adventures involving Carlo. In the first book, Carlo has just been born in Hospitalia, Florida. He lives with his parents behind the walls of the hospital. Carlo is always hungry. He dreams of exploring the kitchen where the chef concocts international dishes, but his parents are eager to protect their curious child. Carlo asks them if they could move to Italy, France, Germany or any foreign country so that he could sample its cuisine.

Carlo continues to pester his parents. Finally, the day comes when they agree to let him explore the halls of the hospital. However, they give him five rules that he must always follow. He must always be neat, avoid the manager’s office, only visit patients who are watching cooking shows, stay away from the infectious disease ward, and never visit the kitchen! Of course, you can guess Carlo will experience enormous difficulty following these rules, especially the last one. With tears in their eyes, the protective parents watch as Carlo ventures forth to explore wearing the sweater that his mother has just knitted for him.

The series is previewed at the end of the book and promises to be a set of exciting adventures matched with lots of lessons for young children to learn. Chanoa has done a wonderful job with the illustrations which are, at the same time, soft and bold. The personalities of the characters shine through the page. Carlo reminds me a bit of Despereaux minus the big ears. This book makes a great read aloud for parent or teacher and invites discussion among adults and children. Recommended for ages three and above. Looking forward to meeting Carlo again in Book Two as he begins his tour of the hospital.
Profile Image for Susan.
Author 106 books166 followers
March 18, 2014
The enchanting Carlo the Mouse: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse is the first book in the Carlo the Mouse Series, and is it adorable!

I happened to be present at the Galloway Public Library yesterday where there was a reading in progress, featuring this delightful story. I could tell by the enraptured expressions of the children that they were actually absorbing the important messages conveyed by the author regarding this story, and why one must have rules and obey them.

Mrs. D has a way of capturing life's most valuable lessons, while keeping children captivated with her top-notch illustrations. I had a few laugh out loud moments because of some unexpected twists in the story, which proved to me Mrs. D is no ordinary children’s book author. Savvy is the word that comes to mind.

Mrs. D delves straight into the heart of matters, using the mischievous Carlo the Mouse, a youngster being raised in a hospital. Although Carlo is born in this sterile environment, he faces grave dangers outside the confines of his little home. While the little mouse is ready to jump headlong into his adventures and explorations the hospital, Momma and Pappy Mouse warn him there are certain situations, people, and places to avoid, or he will face terrible consequences.

Just as humans guide their offspring away from danger, so it is with Carlo’s parents. I can’t wait to read Book Two of the series, so I can find out if Carlo is mindful of his parent’s warnings or if curiosity will get the better of this eager little mouse!
Profile Image for Murielle Cyr.
Author 9 books88 followers
April 20, 2019
Carlo the Mouse, Too many Rules for One Little Mouse is the first instalment of a series of six picture books written by Mrs. D. Carlo is a shrewd little mouse eager to explore outside the confines of his home behind the walls of a hospital kitchen. His parents have managed to escape detection by following six basic rules. Carlo thinks only of seeing new things and is impatient with all these rules, shrugging them off as applying only to adults. Momma and Poppa mouse realize their son is finally ready to go out on his own. They list all the things he absolutely can't do if he wants to survive. Will Carlo follow his parents' advice as he goes in search of adventure? This is an adorable story with enchanting illustrations which will no doubt have your child waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Michael.
7 reviews5 followers
July 29, 2016
Good Reads First Read Winner - I entered the giveaway for this book as a present for my Godchild. She LOVES it! The artwork is bright and beautiful, the characters are fun! I have a feeling I will be reading this book a LOT in the future! Thanks!
392 reviews30 followers
May 1, 2018
“Carlo the Mouse-Book one” is the first in a series of seven very funny books about a very cute lovable mouse that was born just behind the kitchen in a Florida hospital. The books are by the multi-award winning author Mrs. D with colorful eye-catching drawings by Chanoa. From the very beginning, it was clear to Carlo’s parents that Carlo had two strong desires. The first was food. The second was adventure. Indeed, the first word out of Carlo’s mouth was “Yummy,” not “Momma” or “Papa.” One of the first things Carlo wanted to do was visit the hospital chief. He did not know that the chief did not want to see him. He loved Italian foods the best and wanted to visit Italy.
His parents needed to teach him rules to keep him safe. Carlo, like many human kids, could not understand the need for rules. “Why do I need to follow the rules?” he asked. His parents told him, “To be safe in the hospital, you must follow the rules.” This is the same lesson that human children must learn; they must follow rules, and stay away from dangers.
Children will learn from this charming, amusing, very enjoyable book about rules; and they will identify with Carlo, like him a lot, realize he is going to get into trouble, and enjoy reading his adventures or having them read to them.
Profile Image for Janice Spina.
Author 53 books108 followers
January 15, 2018
Carlo is an adorable little mouse who doesn’t want to listen to his mother tell him that there are rules that he must follow to be safe. He wants to do his own thing. He wants to travel and sample the food of other places other than the hospital where he was born and grew up.

The author has created an adorable character in Carlo. She has given him the ability to think for himself, curiosity to seek and do other things, an appetite not only for life but for food - all kinds. But his favorite is Italian and that is where he wants to go to explore all the choices of Italian cuisine.

Children will love this story and all the stories in this lovely series. The illustrations are breathtaking and add color and excitement to the story. Both the author and the illustrator are exceptionally talented and make a perfect pair. They have created an outstanding book that will make even Mickey Mouse envious.
Profile Image for Mary L..
Author 8 books73 followers
September 21, 2017
I fell in love with Carlo from the beginning. Carlo was born in a basement wall next to the kitchen. He loved cheese and couldn’t get enough. His first word was “yummy” (as he loved cheese) and it was endearing to read this story. As Carlo grew up, he wanted to venture out into the hospital and especially find the chef in the kitchen because of the delicious scent of foods he could smell from inside the walls. Finally his parents gave Carlo rules he must obey if he wanted to see parts of the hospital remain safe. Children learn life lessons through Carlo, and his adventures. The illustrations are beautiful and I can see a large series around this curious mouse. Five stars!
Profile Image for M.A. Quigley.
Author 5 books42 followers
October 2, 2017
Carlo the Mouse: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse is the first book in the Carlo the Mouse Series. Carlo is born in a hospital and his parents warn him about the dangers of living in a hospital environment and tell him he must obey six rules. Carlo is bored and has other ideas. He doesn't care about the consequences if he disobeys the rules. Carlo has a big appetite and is longing for adventure and food.

This book is beautifully illustrated and Mrs D has done a wonderful job of using Carlo to explain life's lessons to children in a fun way. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Kelly.
147 reviews1 follower
April 22, 2014
I was lucky enough to read Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse as part of a Goodreads Giveaway so a big thanks to Mrs D. and Dog Ear publishing. This, however, only influenced this review in that I took small notes throughout my read to provide a more thorough description of my experience.

I read this book to my son tonight and I think it will end up being a book that I'll use to expand his vocabulary when teaching him to read (and teaching him the difference between American and Australian English), but I don't think it will become a family favourite. This is the first book in a series and thus sets the scene for future books, ending on a light cliffhanger. That's fine but as a standalone book it really lacked some substance and often drifted into random and unnecessary territory. For example, there's a disjointed segment where Carlo is asking about his family history which didn't seem to flow on from the previous part of the story and doesn't go anywhere. Another part I found odd was a prolonged discussion of television shows watched by the patients in the hospital where the mice live. I understood the initial explanation of why you take food from the patients watching cooking shows (I'm confused by why cooking shows bothered the food-loving Carlo initially) and then progresses to become a debate over how reality tv is bad for children yet travel tv is good.

Don't get me wrong, there are lovely elements of this book and the idea of a food-obsessed mouse living under a kitchen has potential to be a wonderful children's story but I don't think that it's been executed as well as it could have been. The illustrations are a little cartoony for my liking, but they're colourful and this will appeal to children.

The last eight pages of the book (which is only 37 pages) are an advertisement for the other books in the author's range. I don't think this is necessary; if I liked the book enough, I'd know from the title "Book 1" that there'd be more I could find, let alone looking up the author's bibliography online.
Profile Image for M.M. Hudson.
Author 1 book230 followers
April 16, 2014
This is the first in a series of books about Carlos. Carlos is a very mischievous little mouse who has an ravenous taste for good food. So much so that he knows what the cook of the hospital is cooking just by a sniff. He longs to get out and explore life outside his little home from the basement and meet the chef.

However, his parents begin to warn him of the dangers of living in such a place and the rules that he must obey to explore on his own and maybe even outside of the hospital.
This becomes almost too much for little Carlos as day after day he must listen to the rules from his Momma and Poppa.
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In a nutshell, this is the entire book. I thought that maybe the "rules" could have been shortened and maybe send Carlos on his way to begin the exploration.The ending leaves the reader hanging just as Carlos has finally been given permission to leave his home and go explore.

As cute as this book is, I would thing that would frustrate a young reader. I felt like there should be a little more meat to this first book Although the pictures in the book are done well and do add to the story this is by far not a picture book but rather a book for the beginning readers.

I like the book but cannot give it past three stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for my open and honest review. The review here is 100% my own and may differ with yours. ~Naila Moon
1 review3 followers
October 5, 2017
Mrs. D has written a wonderful story about a little mouse who is very curious and in need of learning to follow rules. Mrs. D tells this story so beautifully that I immediately had to go to the second book to finish reading about Carlo's adventures. Her writing is incredibly easy to follow and has just the right details to keep children captivated. The illustrations in this book are beautiful which only add to this already perfectly written story. I was indeed captivated and don't doubt that children all over the world would be captivated as well.
One thing that I observe is that Mrs. D has a story that will appeal to children who are very young as an adult reads this story, or a beautifully illustrated story that young readers will have very little trouble reading for themselves. I easily give this book five stars as it is so perfect for so many different levels and has a very captivating story to read. I would say that this book will be a beautiful addition for any personal or school library. Well worth every penny. Children will learn so much about following rules while being very entertained.
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