When I was a little child my best friend, Raff, and I used to make up games to play together. All too often one of us would come up with an idea, which the other would then try to take over. An argument would ensue. I saw this happen many times with my own child and her friends, and it was always interesting to see how they settled their differences.
Today's picture book is about a mouse who wants to write a story, and a frog who wants to be a part of the story writing process. The frog, alas, does not know how to respect his friend's creative process, and a situation arises that is rather uncomfortable for both the mouse and the frog.
By Mouse and Frog
Deborah Freedman
Today's picture book is about a mouse who wants to write a story, and a frog who wants to be a part of the story writing process. The frog, alas, does not know how to respect his friend's creative process, and a situation arises that is rather uncomfortable for both the mouse and the frog.
By Mouse and Frog
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Penguin, 2015, 978-0-670-78490-5
One morning Mouse wakes up and he starts writing “a
brand-new story.” Carefully he tells his story in which a mouse wakes up early
and sets a table. He then draws what he describes, a table with tea things on
it. The next minute Frog jumps into the story. Frog contributes a cake to the
story, which Mouse reluctantly agrees can be added to the tea table. Frog then
rapidly goes on to add a king, and ice cream, and the next thing you know a
dragon and fairy appear and poor Mouse’s story has been completely taken over.
Mouse yells “STOP!” His poor story “is a mess!”
Frog is rather
upset that Mouse says this, but Mouse is even more upset because Frog took over
his story without so much as a how do you do! Frog explains that he was just
trying to help and the two animals start over. The problem is that Frog, who is
a very excitable fellow, isn’t very good at letting Mouse have a say in how the
story is going to go.
In this
deliciously clever and frequently funny book we see how friends often have to
work hard if they want to collaborate on a project. They have to make
compromises and be sensitive to each other’s wishes. Children are going to love
seeing how Mouse and Frog draw their story and how, in the end, they create
something that is uniquely theirs.
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