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| A beloved book for any library- boys, girls, smaller children and tweens |
As I sit near my first grader and help her find supplies, finish assignments, and just generally complete first grade online, I am beginning to realize it is a bit of an internship in my own career. This just shows how even the best laid plans can have detours. Never did I picture myself teaching first grade- or any grade younger than high school. However, first grade is fascinating on a level I had never considered.
This book is an example of the magic of first grade. In it, Laura Numeroff uses repetition in a clever way to create circular stories. Each story starts and ends with a nonsensical statement and then the story comes full circle at the end to the same ridiculous statement. Four stories follow this theme- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and If you Take a Mouse to School.
In the first one, the mouse starts out getting a cookie, then asks for a glass of milk, followed by a straw and a napkin. Each one of these “asks” is on a single page, complete with an illustration of that simple instruction. When he ends up in the bathroom to wash his hands, he asks for nail scissors and then a broom.He ends up taking a nap because he is tired from cleaning up. After reading with you during nap time, he asks for his own materials to create illustrations, which he signs with a pen and hangs on the fridge. This reminds him that he loves milk- so he asks for milk- which reminds of of the original cookie. The last page states that he wants a cookie to go with it.
This is a brilliant strategy for engaging children learning to read. The storyline is ridiculous- but if you think about it most stories where animals act like humans are ridiculous. It is an endearing relationship between the mouse and the little boy (referenced in second person as “you”) helping him- giving him his cookie, milk, cleaning up, and reading to him. And the circular nature of the text helps kids remember key words. All kids learn to read the “no excuse” words like “If” “You” “Give” after seeing them at the beginning and end of the story. It really emphasizes and cements recognition.
Once the kids fall in love with the anthology- or even just a single story- you can whip out the CD that is included. Also included in this anthology are songs, recipes, activities, and even a science experiment. (One of the stories talks about a messy volcano that explodes everywhere) Once hooked on “mouse cookie” the kids will sing the words of several rather goofy but catchy songs about the characters in these stories. “Flippin’ the Flap Jacks” and “Piggy Polka” were two favorites at our house for a while.
This is an anthology that will last for many years- for introductory reading to an infant/toddler, to the early days of reading to self and sometimes my tween daughter picks it up and reads it for nostalgic fun.
