While searching for food a young mouse finds himself in danger. Little Gus was just hungry and the delicious muffin he found led him to be trapped in a box with no chance of escape. As he worries that he might be doomed, a series of unexpectedly fortunate events help Gus to make a new ally and find a new home in the very sweet children’s book, Gus’ Fortunate Misfortune.

While I do not typically review books designed for young children, the holiday season is fast approaching and I thought that some of our readers might be looking for gifts for the little ones in their lives. Gus’ Fortunate Misfortune is a very cute book all about perseverance and finding the strength inside of yourself to get what you need. Now while Gus is worried and has often felt afraid, when he finds himself in a new situation he knows that he needs to find a way to survive. On his quest for food and water a young Buddhist monk finds himself pulled into the journey of the young mouse.

Susan Pepka’s story is uplifting and the sort of story that I think a number of parents and family members would enjoy sharing with the children in their lives. Gus is pushing himself to survive and Jamyang, the monk, wants to help this young mouse find what he needs. The art in Gus’ Fortunate Misfortune, from Joseph Cowman, is vibrant and soft, giving the book a vividness that will draw in even the youngest reader. You can find Gus’ Fortunate Misfortune on sale now.

Share your thoughts with us in the comments or on Twitter, @thenerdygirlexp. You can find me on Twitter, @kleffnotes, on my blog, kleffnotes.wordpress.com, on my kleffnotes YouTube channel, and I run The Nerdy Girl Express Snapchat, thenerdygirlexp.