Book review of Have a Good Trip, Mousse! by Claire Lebourg

Readers who were enchanted by author-illustrator Claire Lebourg’s A Day with Mousse will be delighted to know their favorite striped creature with an affinity for little red socks has returned in the utterly charming Have a Good Trip, Mousse!, translated from French by Sophie Lewis.

Mousse is as quirky and intriguing as ever: He’s an alligator-esque creature who loves routine and lives so near the sea that he usually takes a “morning swim around the living room” and sits in a floating armchair, a “seaworthy craft.” But on this day, the waves are too high, there are no shells to collect for his business selling sea treasures online, and the beach is deserted. He asks a languid limpet where everyone went, and learns they’ve gone South for a holiday. 

Mousse follows suit, making his very first journey away from home to a beautiful French Riviera-esque spot where all sorts of creatures dine in cafes and frolic on the white sand beach. He decides to invite his friend Barnacle, a boisterous walrus, to join him, but frets about the method of communication: “Will the mailman be able to find Barnacle’s home at the bottom of the sea?” No, the letter will get soaked; better to email, Mousse thinks. There are other irritations, too, like sunscreen on his paws that might besmirch his doughnut—but everything gets better when Barnacle arrives.

At the duo’s spa day, Mousse’s serenity is disturbed yet again by a fellow named Felix, whose upbeat energy matches that of the fun-loving Barnacle. Mousse struggles with jealousy, but when he encounters Felix collecting shells, they find common ground, and the three friends conclude their trip on a sweet, celebratory note. 

Lebourg’s watercolor-infused illustrations reflect the warmth of this upbeat, reassuring story about the challenges and pleasures of trying new things (and the fabulousness of a beach vacation). Superb surreality abounds: There’s an octopus simultaneously serving multiple dessert orders, and a shrimp hang gliding from a diaphanous squid. Lebourg’s signature blend of wryly humorous text and finely rendered, offbeat illustrations make Have a Good Trip, Mousse! an adventure to treasure and remember.