A Creature Was Stirring

K-Gr 2–A fun take on the Christmas classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas that will have readers laughing and guessing what mischief might happen next. Poor Mouse cannot help himself as he more than stirs throughout the entire house, causing quite a bit of mayhem in his wake. Mouse tries to get to sleep, but after some fidgeting, he is back to stirring—oh, and the trouble he causes! Children will easily relate to how difficult it is to get to sleep and dream of sugar plums when they are too excited for the arrival of a special visitor. Hogan’s illustrations bring color schemes of vintage wrapping paper to life, lending to the joy of reading this tale. Children will join in on the chorus of “Go to bed,” that Mouse hears from the other characters. This story can also be used in lessons to compare and contrast with the original poem.