King Mouse

PreS-Gr 1–In this whimsical tale, Fagan explores the ups and downs of pedestals. One day a mouse comes across an object in the grass. After sniffing and tasting and trying it on his tail, he discovers that it fits quite well on his head. Shortly thereafter, mouse encounters a bear who recognizes the object as a crown and asks the naive creature if he’s a king. After a moment’s thought, Mouse replies, “Yes, I am” and Bear bows down to him. Before long, King Mouse is hailed by not only the bear but also by a crow, a tortoise, and a fox who happen upon his highness. Mouse’s newly minted subjects offer food and entertainment and Mouse soaks up the glory until more crowns are discovered and almost everyone becomes royalty. Young readers will identify with Mouse and his friends as their imaginative play accommodates a newcomer who is also a game changer. The quiet resolution is extremely satisfying and those who want to know where the crowns came from in the first place will appreciate the opening wordless spread. Seiferling’s first outing as a picture book illustrator showcases her affinity for creating animal characters with human traits. Her graphite drawings, delicately colored digitally, exude an air of fantasy and perfectly complement this gentle, relatable story. At an inviting and comfortable eight inches square, the trim size is kid-friendly too.