Mice

by Rose Fyleman, Lois Ehlert (Illustrator)

The lights are out—and so are the impy house mice—in this delightful nighttime cat-and-mouse adventure.

Could it be true that mice are…nice? That’s certainly what the cat thinks in this after-dark romp just perfect for young children. Featuring whimsical, comforting text and vibrant collage illustrations from Caldecott Honor medalist Lois Ehlert, this engaging story puts a fresh spin on the classic cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Cats, Poetry, Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2012

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 Stars.

[Melissa]

I love this poem, it's an old favorite from my childhood. I have to admit I don't find these mice, with their buggy eyes and buck teeth, especially appealing. But I guess that fits with the line, "No one seems to like them much." :) And I *love* getting to the end and finding out who the narrator is!

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is the pictures. It would be appropriate for a very young audience. There is very little text.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose Fyleman's MICE was one of my earliest favorite poems. I remember sitting in my footie-pajamas and asking my father to read it 'one more time', and I remember sitting down by myself working to memorize it. And to this day I still know it by heart, and it's still dear to me. (Of course I shared MICE with my own children.)

What Lois Ehlert brings to the poem is her wonderful whimsical artwork. In this case multi-media of paper and string and drawings. So you'll get to see the two toothy mice with combs and toothbrushes --the latter obviously one of the ways they keep their teeth so white.

Great read-aloud. Great poem for children to remember. This book would also be a wonderful start to an art project. With very young children you could cut out the triangles, teeth and string and let them create a montage of their own. For older children you could let them do the cutting for themselves.

Pam
mom/blogger/mouse lover

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ehlert has combined her bright collage illustrations with a poem from Rose Fyleman. The poem is all about why mice are nice. They have small faces, pink ears and white teeth. No one else seems to like mice, because they run around the house at night and nibble on things. But in the end, mice are nice.

It’s a very simple poem with a wonderful playful spirit. Ehlert’s illustrations add to that playfulness with her triangular mice who run their jaunty way through the pages. The two of them are a delight as they munch on Cheerios in the baggie, try on lipstick, and peek into mirrors. Ehlert labels objects in her illustrations too, offering new words as vocabulary.

This is one fun picture book filled with bright illustrations and a cheery attitude. And I think it and mice are nice too. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvelous collages fashioned from handmade papers and string form illustrations that follow the antics of mice as they move around a house at night, eating foods they shouldn't and having lots of fun. Although originally published in 1938, the poem is still lively and quick to engage the interest of listeners. It's rather cool to hear all the positive qualities of mice, as provided by a cat while noticing the labels beside the elements in the illustrations. For instance, while the text raves about the white teeth mice have, one mouse is shown flossing his teeth, and the words "dental floss" appear under the container of dental floss. It's hard not to love the crimped orange-paper tails of these adorable critters. I'm certain that young readers will want to try to create their own mice, following the author/illustrator's example.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lois Ehlert is on my perpetual "Illustrators So Good The Idiots On The Caldecott Committee Ignore Them" list--by the way, so is Eric Carle--but this isn't my favorite of her books.

The mice are cute, the art is creative and the final twist is nice--it just somehow doesn't appeal to me. And who in hell thought it was a good idea to put a half-moon (mousehole) cut out on the last page? The toddlers around here will rip it in shred in no time.

Sigh............

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Ehlert's illustrations to this classic poem. Will make even mouse haters have a change of heart.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone thinks mice are nice...the cat!!!! haha. Very cute

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple but engaging poem about mice from early to mid-20th-century English children's author Rose Fyleman—"I think mice / Are rather nice. There tails are long, / Their faces small, / They haven't any / Chins at all."—is paired with quirky collage artwork from contemporary American illustrator Lois Ehlert in this charming picture book. As the brief text describes mice, opening and closing with the declaration that mice are nice, the artwork shows two murine characters engaged in a variety of appropriate activities, until the conclusion of the book, when the identity of the narrator is revealed...

The brief poem here is taken from Rose Fyleman's 1931 collection, Fifty-One New Nursery Rhymes , and has been anthologized at least once, in the 1981 Mice Are Rather Nice: Poems About Mice , edited by Vardine Moore. Its message about the niceness of mice is expanded through Ehlert's artwork, created using handmade papers and string. I found the "twist" at the end—that the poem is being narrated by a cat, which a big Cheshire grin—quite amusing, and think this is a case where the visuals expand upon the text. This the second picture book I have read that utilizes one of Fyleman's poems—the previous one being A Fairy Went A-Marketing —and think I will have to track down some of her original collections, to give them a try. Recommended to young mice lovers, and to picture book readers who enjoy poetic read-alouds.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I discovered Rose Fyleman while listening to a British podcast. Then, when I began to look up her work, I discovered that I had always known her, though not by name. She was a prolific writer at the turn of the 20th century. This book was based on her poem, “Mice”. I’m not sure when it was originally printed, but it scans a lot nicer than it’s treatment in this book. I found the text broken up too awkwardly in his presentation, with labels cluttering the page. The illustrations, or cutout art, didn’t appeal to me, either. I did, however, enjoy the twist at the end. Perhaps this book didn’t hit the spot for me, but it has value for early readers and lovers of the things that love mice.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mice" is an excellent choice for Toddler Time and works well for Preschool Storytime. The illustrations are big and easy to see. The obvious storytime theme is mice.

However, I am going to use it for a Shapes storytime. Why? Lois Ehlert used two triangles (one for the body and one for the head), two rectangles (teeth) and six circles (two green and two black for the eyes, two pink for ears). And it is difficult to find actual stories with a plot for a shapes storytime theme.

Hurray for Mice! Hurray for Lois Ehlert! Hurray hurray hurray!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just meh. There's very little text on each page, which would normally make it appropriate for toddlers, but Ehlert's illustrations are just too "out there" and ephemeral for toddlers to really grasp. While it might be fun as a lap read one-on-one, I won't be using this in my story times.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging pictures by Lois Ehlert make this picture book distinctly cute.

The text by Rose Fyleman certainly places this book in the FANTASY category.

FIVE STARS for those who have the luxury of living in a home without vermin. Such readers can afford to romanticize mice.

[Rada · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool to see how the author made the mice out of felt and string, but the story was too juvenile for my daughter.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author and the collection created
Very unique style to the illustrations
Loved it

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red 1st

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute poem. interesting artwork

[Axl Mendoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mice is a playful and charming picture book. Lois Ehlert's vibrant collage illustrations add a great touch, capturing the mischievous nature of mice.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

MICE by Rose Fyleman and Lois Ehlert, ill., Beach Lane, October 2012, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-4424-5684-6

“I think mice
Are rather nice.

Their tails are long,
Their faces small,
They haven’t any
Chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run about
The house at night.
They nibble things
They shouldn’t touch
And no one seems
To like them much.

But I think mice
Are nice.”

I, myself am no big fan of mice, but I absolutely love this exceptional new picture book built around a poem that has been part of my life for ages.

Back when I studied early childhood education, my mentor, the late Terri Isaacs, had us each purchase a big package of 5x8 index cards and a recipe box to hold them. Then, individually, we made trips to the library all semester in order to read lots of children’s poetry collections and anthologies, and copy those poems we really liked and the accompanying bibliographic information onto the cards. Then, we were ordered to go out into the world and forever make reading a poem aloud part of every circle time we led.

The card with this poem -- which I found, back then, in the RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF POETRY FOR CHILDREN (1983) -- is one of the most well-worn cards in my poetry box.

The whimsical collages of two mischievous mice with which Lois Ehlert illustrates this poem are priceless. With heads and bodies crafted from triangular pieces of handmade paper, the duo sport round florescent pink ears and big white teeth. With limbs made of string knotted at the wrists and ankles and unraveling at the hands and feet; and big eyes that are a total crackup; Ehlert is able to position the limbs and eyes in each illustration so as to make the two mice incredibly expressive.

Causing havoc with art supplies and tools; messing with lipstick, a toothbrush, and a roll of dental floss; and then getting into cupcakes, produce, crackers, and cereal; the little buggers eventually scamper home through their hidey hole (for which the page is cut), evading the house’s cat. A solid black background throughout the book causes the illustrations to jump out at us while showing us that these antics are taking place in the middle of the night.

What a treat!

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/middle_school...
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[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mice by Rose Fyleman, illustrated by Lois Ehlert, is the rhyming explanation of why mice are nice, explained in a classic poem.

Ehlert's collage illustrations are constructed from handmade papers and string. The two mice (depicted using simple shapes) run around the house encoutering a variety of household items and food items. The mice exhibit lots of expression. They interact with geraniums, paint, a clock, paintbrushes, marking pens, ruler, paper punch, glue bottles, scissors, soap, a drinking glass, lipstick, comb, toothbrush, dental floss, potato, mango, tomato, orange, banana, avocado, pear, crackers, rolling pin, cupcakes, wooden spoon, popcorn ball, and cereal. My favorite images are upside down, picture, lipstick, running on fruit, cupcakes, cereal and mouse hole.

Fyleman's classic poem is transformed by Ehlert's illustrations into an entertaining story featuring two troublesome mice using lots of objects to create something for their mousehole, with a twist at the end. The main text is in a large font, with various items named using a smaller font. This could be used to review the names for common school items and foods. It's a good storytime choice. Mice is recommended for school and public library collections. Mice may make some Best of 2012 lists. 4.5 stars.

For ages 1 to 6, mice, food, art, poetry, messy, storytime and fans of Rose Fyleman and Lois Ehlert.

[Lu Benke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific book for toddlers and beginning readers! I was thinking about those beautiful delicate illustrations of fairies when I first saw the name "Rose Fyleman" on the listing for this book. But it didn't take me long to get into the swing of Ehlert's amusing collage illustrations of two very cocky and crafty mice. The rhythm of the poem is accentuated by widely spreading the text throughout the book and making the print boldly white against black. I wondered what Ehlert's thoughts were behind labeling some of the objects in her pictures. At first I didn't think they were necessary. But the more I looked the more I thought that the labels were an ingenious insight into the curiosity of beginner readers. It's not hard to imagine this book becoming a preschool teacher's favorite for the art activity inspirations, the early literacy aspects of rhyming and print awareness, and even the possibility of discussions in math, nutrition, and hygiene. But, let's hope it gets used the most for how fun Ehlert has made the story behind the poem.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving Fyleman's 1932 poem a punch line in the illustration was a really fun idea--a moment for inference! As each page progressed, I found I was more intrigued in looking closely at Ehlert's technique. This isn't supposed to be what happens when we look at art, but by the time I looked at her saltine cracker and bag of Cheerios I was hooked on looking at this. Her technique is far looser and rough around the edges than I was expecting.

Eating the Alphabet was one of our favorite alphabet books when Bela was little in the 1990s--and that was much tighter in illustration style. I'm not sure what to make of the fact that I like this book, when I clearly dislikeEric Carle's 'you could do this yourself' style. I find it condescending to children. This book not so bad that way. The fun postmodern turn is that Ehlert illustrates the mice along with a variety of the art supplies, office supplies, and household junk she uses to make the book!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Mice Rose Fyleman’s classic poem about mice is paired with creative and unique collage art by Lois Ehlert for a new generation of young readers to enjoy. The book follows two mischievous mice on a nighttime romp through a dark house. Their path through the house is made apparent through the various discoveries they find along the way from office supplies, to toiletries, and finally the jackpot, the kitchen and its goodies within. Many of the objects throughout the book are labeled to encourage vocabulary learning, object identification, and print awareness. Ehlert’s creative collage art consists of paper and string, and much of the paper is the homemade pulpy type, adding dramatic texture to the illustrations. The two mice are surprisingly comical and expressive, crafted out of two pulpy paper triangles, strings for arms and legs, crimped paper tails, and bright, bugged-out eyes. With its simple, rhyming text, and its creative, visual appeal, Mice is an excellent pick for baby and toddler storytime.

[Elaine Bearden · Rating 4 out of 5]

preS-early 1st
I just love the illlustrations in this book - the collage-y texture is really fun. Ehlert uses a previously published poem by Rose Fyleman (1877-1957) to illustrate for this book. Perfect for a mouse-themed storytime, followed by a mouse-y craft (make collage mice or puppets? - the cat would need to be in there somehow!). What is it with mice in books? I also like the "look and find" aspects to the pictures - with labels for things like "paintbrush" and "clock" etc. Published by Beach Lane books. Could do a cat/mouse chase with the rhyme "Old Gray Cat."

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mama loves the illustrations in the story. I like them too. But, after reading the book I like to walk around the house repeating the poem. My favorite line, "I think mice are rather nice." Papa bought this book for me to give to Mama as a gift. They wrapped it at the store. I howled the whole way home because I wanted to read it and I couldn't because it was in a package.

Once home I quickly helped Mama unwrap it and we read it a dozen times. After, I sat on the floor and looked at the pages over and over.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ode to mice. Humans might see mice as pests, but to a cat mice are quite nice. The story takes place in the middle of the night as the mice get into all the goodies while the narrator (surprise! the cat) describes the creatures. The narrator is revealed in the last third of the book making a fun surprise for young readers.

Collage illustrations add visual interest to the story and items are labeled which helps build vocabulary. Great read aloud.

[Ariel Cummins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic poem by Fyleman is accompanied by paper and fiber collages of Ehlert to great success in this delightful picture book.

The illustrations jump off of the black pages, with the mice exploring a house and getting in to trouble a bit. The textures and colors are really engaging to look at, and lots of items are labeled for curious kiddos.

This would work really well for a story time. Toddlers or even babies would enjoy this short and rhyming poem.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the simple text and large simple collage pictures. There is a bit of random weirdness, the background objects are labeled (toothpaste! scissors) which makes it a great opportunity for identifying things one on one but some of the objects are just...around. There are two two page spreads featuring mice jumping over various fruits and veggies (a mango and a potato for example).

There is a bonus surprise ending though!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The poetic word lines to the fantastic illustrations by Lois Ehlert! I may not like mice in particular, but in the book they look so nice, cute and cuddly. Would make a wonderful storytime about mice. The illustrations are eye candy, colorful, intersting and funny. Makes me want to get crafty!

Read for Early Headstart storytimes 4.4.2013