Mice

Rose Fyleman, 1877-1957

Book - 2012

Simple, rhyming text celebrates what is nice about mice.

Saved in:
Subjects
Genres
Stories in rhyme
Picture books
Published
New York : Beach Lane Books 2012.
Language
English
Main Author
Rose Fyleman, 1877-1957 (-)
Edition
1st ed
Physical Description
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 24 x 27 cm
ISBN
9781442456846
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

A 1932 poem from Fyleman (1877-1957) serves as a springboard for Ehlert's customarily striking handiwork. Such pointed verse as "I think mice/ are rather nice./ Their tails are long,/ their faces small./ They haven't any chins at all" is ripe for visual interpretation, and Ehlert's playfulness, wit, and exposition elevate the brief text to something to be savored more carefully. Ehlert's wide-eyed rodents are composed of collaged elements: textured, torn-paper triangles form faces and bodies (the fibrous edges of the handmade papers suggest fur), the mice's rectangular buck teeth convey a dopey cuteness, and their ropy legs are made of knotted and frayed string. As the mice scamper across the pages ("They nibble things they shouldn't touch") Ehlert labels the items they find, turning the story into an introduction to art supplies, household items, and food items that range from mangos and avocadoes to cereal and desserts (in one memorable scene, the duo dives headfirst into a pair of rainbow-sprinkled cupcakes). Better still, the surprise revelation of the poem's narrator provides a zingy sense of delight. Ages 3-5. Illustrator's agent: Eden Street Literary. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1-This storytime winner brings a new twist to the classic poem. The simple verse describes mousey attributes: "their tails are long,/their faces small,/they haven't any chins at all." Ehlert's quirky, handmade paper-collage rodents (resplendent with hot pink circle ears, big front teeth, and string limbs) demonstrate by holding up a ruler, crafting a self-portrait, and peering into a mirror. They scamper over vegetables as they "run about the house," dive nose-first into frosted cupcakes, and "nibble things they shouldn't touch." The jet black backgrounds highlight the large, white text and make the nighttime escapades of the mice appear three-dimensional. A surprise ending reveals the narrator to be a grinning feline. Preschoolers will undoubtedly agree that "Mice are rather nice."-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

"Mice are nice," especially when Ehlert is illustrating them with handmade paper and bits of string. The book's two mouse friends, one red and one gray, both with round, bright-pink ears, have quite the life: playing, dressing up, and nibbling on cupcakes and cereal. Borrowing the words from Fyleman's humorous poem for young children, written in 1917 ("I think mice / are rather nice. / Their tails are long, / their faces small. / They haven't any chins at all"), Ehlert keeps things light and bouncy with her energetic and droll collage illustrations. She even manages to sneak in an amusing surprise ending. Most of the illustrations' backgrounds are flat black, allowing readers to imagine the dark, secret places where mice spend their nights. The final line -- "But I think mice / are nice" -- pops against bright green pages, permitting a toothy orange tabby to shine for his smug cameo. Ehlert's clean spreads are made up of a variety of simple geometric shapes, mostly triangles, circles, rectangles, and trapezoids. One page shows the mice manipulating these simple shapes much the way the illustrator herself does -- with scissors, glue, hole-punches, paint, rulers, and pens. Attention art teachers: having your young students illustrate poems using Ehlert's technique will be a surefire hit. robin l. smith (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

This fresh interpretation of a classic poem is a charmer. Ehlert illustrates Fyleman's simple, well-loved poem with her trademark vibrant collages, in this case, made from string and handmade paper. A single triangle forms the body of each mouse, while a second triangle perches on top to form the head. Add pink circles for ears, bright white rectangles for teeth, more colorful circles for eyes and strings for arms and legs--with knots serving as wrists and ankles--and you've got two majorly adorable mice. A consistent black background emphasizes the nighttime setting and allows the textures and colors of the handmade paper figures to really shine. Children will delight in following the mice as they enjoy the run of the house: using art supplies to create their own collages; playing with lipstick, a toothbrush and dental floss; scampering over fruits and vegetables; chowing down on crackers, cupcakes and cereal. They will also be tickled to discover that the narrator of the poem turns out to be none other than a big, grinning cat with a gleam in his eye. No wonder he insists that mice "are rather nice." The simple, rhyming text, very large print and crisp, vibrant images make this one an excellent choice for sharing with your favorite group of toddlers or preschoolers. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.