Issue #0

Mouse Count

Plot

PreSchool-Grade 1-- A slithery snake finds ten sleeping mice that he thinks will make a delizacious meal. He pops them into a jar . . . "one, two, three." But, being greedy, he sees just one more hidden in the grass and goes to collect it. The ten little captured mice outsmart him, however, and--"ten, nine, eight . . . "--uncount themselves as they scramble from the jar and run home, safe and sound once again. Children will delight in this counting game that is couched in an exciting, original story. They will cheer for the resourceful, bright-eyed, tiny mice as they escape. The torn paper collage and tempra illustrations are lively and depict the story's unerring drama through an unclutterd form and line. Each page displays a neatly framed illustration that complements the progression of this anticipatory story. Readers will be intrigued by the sleek blue snake and his whimsical, earth-toned captives. A concept book that lures children into the learning process through drama and ultimate satisfaction. --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH.