Mouse Count

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Scholastic Inc., 1991)

I was recently talked into repeatedly reading this book.

While attempting to sort through boxes of books, with the help of two preschool-aged grands, I found this favorite.

So I read it.

They were glued to the illustrations and story line. Both grands were rapt with attention. Upon completion of reading Mouse Count, I was given my favorite response to a great book.

"Read it again, Nana!"

So we did. Again. And again.

You can't beat a good book. You just have to enjoy it.

Try one of these activities to add additional enjoyment to reading Mouse Count:

1. Wash out that empty peanut butter plastic jar and lid. Collect 10 small mice, 1 plastic snake, and 1 big rock. TOY mice, I might add. Act out the story! Count forwards and backwards.
~ I just realized, after watching my kittens, that cat toy mice would be the perfect size for this activity.

2. Use neutral colors (tan, brown, black, gray) and let your child sponge paint large sheets of thick paper. Dry. Trace ovals on the back and help cut out mouse shapes. Chop paper scraps for tails and feet and glue them on. Use a permanent marker for eyes, mouth, and whiskers. Tape together painted paper scraps to make a snake.
~ Retell the story.
~ Add magnets to the back and tell the story on a magnetic surface. (SUPERVISE magnets. Choking hazard for younger children).

3. Have fun acting this out on a large scale. Use a huge box as the jar. Add a big stuffed snake. Draw whiskers and nose on your child's face with an eyeliner pencil. Tie a piece of rope to a belt loop on the back of her pants for a tail. Take turns being the mouse and the snake.

4. Mouse snack: Place half of a pear cut side down on a plate. Add raisin eyes, mouth, and ears to the small end. Cut a strip of cheese for a tail and place on the big end. Cut a snake from a piece of bread. Glue on raisin eyes with a dab of peanut butter. Eat the story!

5. Rubber stamp-a-holic? Get out a mouse, snake, jar, and rock stamp. Show your child how to stamp on paper. Let him recreate the story with stamps. Add markers or crayons and help color the picture.

6. Play dough and plastic play dough tools make Mouse Count play time fun. Show how to roll a ball with the dough. Shape into an oval. Roll tiny balls for eyes and a long rope for a tail. Use a plastic knife to add whiskers and mouth. Roll a larger rope for the snake. Add a plastic jar for the story retell.

Count, count, count all the ways you have fun!