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Mice

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Jill!

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood. Outside Little Mouse’s house, a strawberry is growing. A red, ripe strawberry. Mmm! Mouse is just about to go and pick it. But wait – the narrator warns him – what about the Big Hungry Bear? The bear, we learn, just LOVES strawberries, and can smell them from miles away, especially when they have just been picked. Oh no! Little Mouse has JUST PICKED our strawberry! Now, how can we keep it safe from that Big Hungry Bear? Mouse frantically tries hiding it, locking it up and guarding it, even dressing it up in a disguise… but it turns out that there’s really only one method to save a red, ripe strawberry from the Big Hungry Bear (Hint: that method is delicious). See this book listed in our catalog and look for Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear

Noodle’s Knitting

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Submitted by Ms. Brenda!

Noodle’s Knitting by Sheryl Webster is a delightful book about a mouse named Noodle who loved to watch the farmer’s wife knit. She even learned the special knitting words “Knit one, purl one. Knit two together.” One day, the farmer’s wife exclaimed “This is the wrong color!” and tossed a purple ball of yarn aside. Noodle was excited to have her own ball of yarn, and with the help of her friend Hedgie, she had some needles to use with it. Noodle’s attention is only on her work as she walks along whispering the special words “Knit one, purl one. Knit two together,” as her friends keep her from running into one mishap after another. With beautiful illustrations by Caroline Pedler, you can feel the soft purple yarn on each textured page as you read along while Noodle and her friends find a cozy use for the longest scarf in history! See this book listed in our catalog

Maisy Learns to Swim

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Submitted by Ms. Janis!

In Maisy Learns to Swim by Lucy Cousins, Maisy is going swimming for the first time, and she is a little nervous, but her two friends Eddie and Tallulah are going too. Eddie is a natural in the water, but Maisy and Tallulah are slower getting into the pool. Soon all three of them are kicking and floating and even blowing bubbles. In this child-friendly book, the words explain the pictures, and the illustrations are bright, colorful, and cute. Whether water-shy or raring-to-go, young readers will find it easy to relate to Maisy as she experiences swimming for the first time. See this book listed in our catalog

Little Elephants

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Submitted by Ms. Allana!

Little Elephants by Graeme Base. From the creative and imaginative mind of Graeme Base comes another wonderful and amazing story with spectacular art. Young Jim lives on a farm with his mother. Their crop is wheat. Jim has a pet mouse, Pipsqueak, but his mother is worried that he will attract other mice, therefore bringing a plague. Jim has to take Pipsqueak and let him go free in the woods. Pipsqueak returns to Jim later that day however, and indeed does bring friends with him. These
friends are not exactly like him you could say, but instead of causing pestilence and damage, they come to the rescue against a very dangerous threat. In the story, we also come to understand that one little act of kindness to a stranger may be connected to these strange and fortunate circumstances. This is an engaging and fun story for young preschool aged children. See this book listed in our catalog

Boris and the Wrong Shadow

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Submitted by Ms. Janis!

Boris and the Wrong Shadow by Leigh Hodgkinson. After one of his delightful naps, Boris the cat has a feeling that things are not quite as they should be. Something is strange… Boris woke up with the wrong shadow! In fact, it’s the shadow of a very tiny mouse! Not wanting to ruin his afternoon, Boris goes for a walk and all the other cats snicker at him–even the birds don’t bother to look at him. He finally finds his shadow skipping by without a care in the world. Boris has to convince Vernon the mouse (who has borrowed Boris’s shadow) to give him is shadow back. Eventually, Boris is able to reconnect with his shadow and show his new, small friend that you don’t have to be BIG to be a superstar. See this book listed in our catalog

Mice

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Submitted by Ms. Melissa!

Mice, a quirky poem by Rose Fyleman, tells the tale of two nice mice.    The poem, though simple, can be extended by asking children to explain what’s happening on each page. Certain images have a word next to them, which may be helpful for those children learning language. Lois Ehlert’s clever scrapbook-esque illustrations are easy for children to duplicate, and can be made out of basic shapes of paper. At the end of the poem, you’ll discover that it is being narrated by a cat, which may incite a giggle or two. Check out these Lois Ehlert inspired arts and crafts on pinterest or see this book listed in our catalog