More Mice for Spring Festival

Ready? Here are some more mice books for ya!

First up, (from comments - thank you!) is the Newbery Metal winner and kid favorite, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. Originally published in 1972, this young adult tale by Robert C. O'Brien tells the story of "Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, [who] must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma." (from Amazon.com)


Next we have a book that was also suggested in the comments section (thanks, Mom) by a children's lit lover and veteran preschool teacher: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. She wrote: [this] is also a great story about some mice children who want to explore in spite of their grandfathers admonitions about what is at the top of the basement stairs (a cat!). A sweet story about courage, fears and exploration.


I wanted to recommend one of my favorite stories to tell and to give: The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood. Child's Play Ltd, 1991.

The Woods are among my favorite illustrators, with so many delightful and stunning books to their esteemed name, I don't know where to start. They bring to life this adorable story about a mouse who must eat his strawberry before the big, hungry bear comes to take it. It's a toddler and preschool age delight.


Finally, please do check out several mouse stories by Ellen Stoll, a few of which are Mouse Match, Mouse Paint, and Mouse Count. Those chubby critters are sure to please the babes and toddlers in your life.


I wanted to mention that, in looking for the graphics for this post, I came upon a great site that actually has an index of mouse tales! Here it is: Penn State Center for the Book. I'd still love your thoughts on mouse books, and any other crafty Chinese New Year ideas!

Whose Mouse are You?

As a huge fan of children's literature, I thought the lead-up to Chinese New Year on February 7th would be fun if I introduced some of my favorite books starring mice.

OK, I also have an ulterior motive - I've never been too pleased about my own Chinese astrology sign being the rat, so now that we're kicking off a new zodiac cycle, I figured it was time to celebrate my animal in style.

The first one is Whose Mouse Are You?, a delightfully-illustrated story of a little mouse's journey to save his family and become a big sibling mouse. It's one of the stories I remember most vividly from my early childhood.

Whose Mouse Are You, by Robert Kraus
Illustrated by Jose Aruego. Originally published 1970

"My brother's mouse - he's brand new."

Next up, we have my favorite illustrator, David Christiana, bringing us lovely mice in his interpretation of the classic folktale "Mouse Bride." If you're not familiar with this story, a mouse seeking her mate courts the sun, the wind, and others, before she discovers the most powerful one of all - another mouse.


Masterful writer and illustrator Ed Young also has a version of this tale, titled Mouse Match. His is executed in his typical cut paper and ink style, and is presented as a wonderful accordion book. The reverse of all the pages presents the tale in Chinese.


While we're talking about Ed Young, I shouldn't fail to mention his Caldecott Award-winning Seven Blind Mice. This gorgeous, boldly-illustrated book is an easy crowd pleaser, as the readers are led through the adventure of seven mice trying to piece together their individual interpretations of an elephant. A classic Asian folktale.


What are your favorite stories about mice? I'll be back to feature more, and I'd love to hear about yours.