Basil and Parsley by Patsy Clairmont

Two mice, the young Mackenzie twins Basil and Parsley, are playing hide-and-seek in the pantry and become concerned when their older brother Stinky doesn't come to find them. When they hear the signal for help their dad taught them (tap, tap, tap), they realize that their brother must be in trouble. Working together and with some unexpected help from the Spud the bully rat, they free Stinky from a mouse trap. They learn that even a bully can be kind, it's easier to solve problems when they work together, and that it's smart to know how to signal for help.