Mice Twice

by Joseph Low

1980

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Cats, Fantasy, Kids

Hardcover

First published July 1, 1980

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t like the artwork here. It is very different than anything we have seen, but I don’t think that makes it Caldecott worthy. I do think the story is funny and well done.

Cat wants to eat mouse so he invites him over for dinner and bring a friend. Mouse is too smart for this and brings dog. It’s an embarrassing dinner of 2 pieces of cheese and nothing else. Cat does not give up. He asks to bring a friend over to dogs house and dog agrees. Cat brings wolf to eat the dog and he can eat the mouse, but dog has crock at his house also (why doesn’t croc want to eat them all?) Anyway, this goes on and on. They try and come up with different animals to protect themselves or eat the companion. Mouse wins in the end and cat gives up.

The kids both thought this was funny. They laughed at the antics of cat and they loved how smart mouse was. It was a game of cat and mouse. They thought that was funny while still missing the joke. The niece gave this 3 stars and the nephew gave this 4 stars.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mice Twice” is a clever book by Joseph Low about how a clever mouse outsmarts a hungry cat when the cat invited her over for dinner. “Mice Twice” may have some intense looking illustrations that might scare smaller children, but this is truly a classic book for children of all ages.

Joseph Low has done an excellent job with both the story and the illustrations of this clever tale. Joseph Low effectively shows how cunning can beat trickery as long as that person (in this case, Mouse) is cautious among people who intend to do them harm and try to avoid them at all costs. Joseph Low’s illustrations are scratchy yet detailed especially of Cat and Lion as they both have sharp teeth and intense looking eyes, strongly indicating that they are clearly the villains of this tale. Also, Joseph Low has done an excellent job at illustrating the characters in 1800s clothing style, indicating that this tale took place many years ago.

Parents should know that some of the images of Cat and Lion in this book may be too intense for smaller children too handle. Cat and Lion have intense looking eyes throughout the book as their eyes are always shadowed and they also have sharp teeth that strongly reinforce their ruthless nature. Parents should read this book first before they show it to their children and see if their children are used to illustrations that look intense.

“Mice Twice” is an interesting and great tale about trickery and being cautious of one’s surroundings and children will surely take great pleasure in reading this tale over and over again. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since smaller children might be scared by the intense illustrations of Cat and Lion.



Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting trickster tale with a fun rhyming title. I liked that the mouse and the cat tried to one-up each other as they invite more and more ferocious animals to dinner. When the lion showed up, I thought there was going to be a lion/mouse thing along the lines of an Aesop fable, but that isn't what happened.

The part of this book that really disappointed me were the illustrations! They just didn't seem at all remarkable to me, yet they won a Caldecott honor. I must be missing something because to me they just seem like pretty regular pen and ink with watercolor illustrations.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan of the artwork, though given that it has a Caldecott sticker I did try to appreciate it. Fable is cute, esp. for little children who will easily feel sympatico to the little mouse (and the even littler, but most powerful of all, little wasp).

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise is rather sinister, the cat wants to eat the mouse after all! But the mouse proves to be more clever than the cat! The artwork is interesting, different than most children's books. The drawings are water color and pencil and thus there's something less substantial about them, a little dream-like. My son adored this book.

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Per my 2nd graders: I liked it because it was a clever book. I liked it because it was funny when cat was chasing after Lion. I liked it because when Mouse brought over Dog and Cat was surprised. I liked the illustrations. I liked it because Mouse got the good food in the end.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected - just like it should be.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cat and a mouse one up each other as they bring different guests to dinner over the course of a few nights.

[Gabi Loveday · Rating 5 out of 5]

_Mice Twice_ is one of my favorite children’s stories to read for myself and to read to younger children. Something that I love about this book is the way that the story takes traditional and familiar characters, such as the cat and the mouse, and creates an out-of-the-box story that defies readers’ expectations and surprises them at every page turn. This element of surprise could not be achieved without the accompanying illustrations, which tell the story through highlighting the size and characteristics of each of Cat and Mouse’s friends. Based on my observations about the book such as its layout and the vocabulary used, I would guess that this book, which won a Caldecott Honor in 1981, is aimed for young readers who are around kindergarten age, and I believe that it contains the right balance of controlled and familiar vocabulary as well as unfamiliar vocabulary that is very appropriate for this age group. Additionally, the illustrations of this book are absolutely wonderful for this age group. Low uses hand-sketched pictures in what appears to be pen or pencil overlaid with watercolor paint to create a cartoon style illustration, which appeal to the children’s imaginations, as if they had drawn the pictures themselves. The illustrations play a critical role in enhancing the plot as they depict the different characters, such as Crocodile and Lion, and their distinguishing characteristics like Crocodile’s long jaw and sharp teeth, or Lion’s big mane that takes up Cat’s entire house. The pictures provide some humor and help the reader understand why the other characters are so scared. For example, when Cat and Wolf open the door expecting to find mouse, but find Crocodile instead, the illustration shows crocodile’s big, long, “toothy” mouth stretched out twice as far as Wolf’s, and readers can experience how intimidated Cat and Wolf feel through the illustrations. Additionally, one of the notable physical features of this book is the back cover, which depicts Mouse with her head stuck up in the air, saying, “Hah!...not even once!” This gives the readers a preview of what might happen in the book and provides more humor that the small mouse can outsmart the big cat. This is definitely a great book to use for a classroom read-aloud; I personally read this book to a preschool class and they absolutely loved the story and the characters. Each time I flipped the page, they would gasp at the pictures as a new, bigger, more intimidating animal would appear at the door. Thanks to Joseph Low’s vivid and artful illustrations, _Mice Twice_ is a book that I think children will not soon forget, and it might become a favorite, just like it is for me now.

[Rachael Mack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before opening Mice Twice, I was prepared for a fun-filled an imaginative story. Not only does the title rhyme, but the cover illustration depicts a cat licking his lips while a mouse subtly smiles in a nearby tree. A reader could make so many predictions about the story, but what did occur was something I did not expect!
Mice Twice was about a cat who decided he wants a mouse for supper, so he invites his friend, Mouse, over to join him for dinner. Mouse requests to bring a friend and the hungry cat thinks this will mean he gets “mice twice” and eagerly accepts Mouse’s request. To Cat’s surprise the friend Mouse brings ends up being a dog, so Cat has no chance of eating Mouse. The rest of the story is a back and forth event of dinner parties in which Cat and Mouse bring dinner guests who would be classified as predators of the party’s host. In the end Cat learns a valuable lesson about how he needs to treat his friends in the future.
What caught my eye most about this story was the fact that Joseph Low was able to create and portray such emotion in illustrations with very few colors. The main colors that Low used were yellow, red, and green. I think that with these colors he was able to have illustrations that were simple, yet still complex enough to get the message of the text across. One thing I did not like so much about these simple images were how repetitive they were; I feel like there could have been more detail and change involved in the illustrations, but the simple style seems like what Low was trying to achieve.
I think that many children could learn from this book because a lot of children do try to trick their friends; of course not to the extent of eating them, but children can be manipulative like Cat and Mouse were. Children are constantly trying to get their peers to do things for them or want things to go their way, and this story can teach them that they should not do that because it can backfire on them. I think that overall most children would enjoy the silliness of this story and could benefit from reading it.

[Valentin Eni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Motanul, nu ştiu de ce, nu se mulţumeşte să mănânce doar caşcaval franţuzesc, alune proaspăt-prăjite, stafide mari şi suculente, prăjituri glazurate cu zahăr şi bucăţele de şuncă. Motanul vrea numaidecât să aibă la cină un şoarece sau şi mai bine doi (dublu şoarece:) Numai că unul din şoareci se dovedeşte a fi altceva, ceva ce-i strică planurile motanului. Dar aici începe un joc între motan şi şoarece: Care pe care!
Intensitatea poveştii creşte în avalanşă şi finalul e oarecum surprinzător şi cu răsturnare de situaţie.
Imaginile sunt în acuarelă, culori vii, predominant roşu şi galben, dar prea puţin elaborate detaliile şi grafica e în stilul "mâzgăleală" care nu place copiilor, din câte ştiu eu.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat is hungry and tries to plot a way to catch Mouse, but Mouse has a trick or two up her sleeves to outwit Cat.

Instead of a battle of strength, this is a battle of wits and strategic friends. Mouse and Cat continue to surprise with the guests they choose to bring to various meals. In the end, it all ends up well except for Cat's stomach and nose. An animal tale that should delight animal lovers. Kids can have fun guessing who Cat and Mouse will invite to join them for protection next.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott Honor Award Winning storybook. Cute and clever bit of one-upmanship between cat and mouse. Not sure I'd want to read it over and over, the writing was a bit repetitive and the idea not one I'd necessarily want to encourage. And the art was just a hair better than okay. But definitely amusing once or twice. 3.5 of 5.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd little story. The dog, cat and mouse are each trying to outsmart each other and get a good meal. I couldn't decide if it was funny (as I am sure it was meant to be) or a bit sad. My 7 year old found their trickery clever and humorous.

Despite being a Caldecott, I don't find the illustrations all that impressive or charming.

[Ellen L. Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The text and the illustrations are magnificently funny. A mouse and his friend dog are pitted against a cat and a collection of cat's friends. But it's the mouse's very small friend who ultimately saves the day. The book was a Caldecott Honor Book—and no wonder—the illustrations are wonderful!

[SamZ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1981 Caldecott Honor
A tale about a hungry cat and a mouse who is too smart to become dinner. This was a cute story, but nothing special. The illustrations seemed kind of dull and scribbly, and didn't fit the tale at all. Overall, I was very underwhelmed.

[Breea Holdcroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! I was always waiting to see who would be introduced into the story next. By the end of the book, I got the message that no matter your size you are powerful in your own way.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mice Twice (Stories to go!) by Joseph Low- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- Hindi language translation by Vidushak- The book narrates the story of a cat and mouse in an imaginative style. A cat decides that she wants a mouse for supper, mice accept the invitation with a clause that he should be permitted to invite his friend also. Cat agrees and time is fixed at 6.00 PM. Mouse invites his friend, the dog for dinner. Cat agrees to invite his friend in the hope that she will get two mice to eat. To Cat’s surprise the friend Mouse brings ends up being a dog, so Cat has no chance of eating Mouse. The rest of the story is a back and forth event of dinner parties in which Cat and Mouse bring dinner guests who would be classified as predators of the party’s host. In the end Cat learns a valuable lesson about how he needs to treat his friends in the future. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read thr eHinid language translation of this book.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Cat, who gets hungry and invites Mouse to dinner. The story was really funny to read. The tables turn so much and Mouse and her friends are really clever and always a step ahead of Cat and his companions. The art was really unusual and sometimes a little creepy which could be a bit of an issue for younger kids. A lot of the characters, even the good ones, would have really intense eyes and startling teeth that I instantly felt could become an issue if the reader was easily spooked. The story was really funny though and had a bunch or morals that make it a great read for anyone who can handle the imagery. It could be used really well in a classroom as well. It could be a great way to open discussion about bullying, for example, and how to stand up for your friends peacefully and without having to get violent.

[Allie Knerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not really enjoy this book. I did not like that the cat only wanted to have dinner with the mouse because the cat wanted to eat the mouse. I got why the mouse brought a dog to dinner so the dog could protect her but i did not understand why the story progresses by every animal bring a bigger animal to dinner. I would not recommend reading this book to children, there is nothing within this story to grab the attention of the readers to keep the story interesting and to make me want to continue reading this book. If the book was more about the mouse and the cat and how they solved their differences to trust each other that could have made this book better and would have a better message for students but the story line of all the animals not trusting each other was sad and boring. This book was published in 1980 so the story is a little outdated and I don't think teachers need to have this book among their books within their classroom.

[Brooklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Grade Range: K-1st

Book Review: This book reminds me of the show “Tom and Jerry” and how the cat is trying to be smooth. I find so much joy in how these stories take such interesting twists and turns. The suspense of not knowing which guest cat or dog would bring was so enjoyable. I absolutely love how the author thought of these amazing animals to add to the dinner.

[Abby Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story revolves around a cat deciding what to eat for dinner. Cat has decided that he wants to eat a mouse for dinner. He attempted to fool the mouse, but she outsmarted the cat. She even invited a dog. The cat was anxious and upset because he couldn't eat the mouse. The dog then outsmarted the cat and mouse. They were all outsmarting each other. It's a fantastic novel, in my opinion. It provides a valuable lesson about friendship and who you choose to be friends with.

[Mary Greer Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good vocabulary words for young children. This book can be used in language and literacy. This book can be used for young children in the approach to play. This book could be used with young children to engage them in open communication. This book allows young children to think about with friendship. This book was okay.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather mean-spirted story about animals behaving spitefully toward one another. I'm not a fan of this in-between anthropomorphism, where the different species wear clothes and invite each other for dinner (presumably manners constrain them to accept? didn't really make sense to me...) but also prey upon one another as in nature.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually adjust when I read a children's book because I know I'm not the audience but this one appealed to the adult in me who likes irony and twist endings. I listened to the Storyline Online reading of Phil Dunphy who did good. The illustrations felt a bit lacking though, I thought the wolf was a crocodile.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the book. I like the illustrations. I feel like the book does teach one about friendship a little bit, but it is also a little bit about trickery and I am not sure I liked that aspect of the book. It was entertaining though.

[Sawyer Putman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is very clever! A little above the heads of my two young children but one I think they will really enjoy as they get older. The illustrations are very different from anything I’ve seen. But definitely a good one

[Adrianne Rosal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm it was ok.

[Faloni © · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erase every single memory of me and allow no thoughts to cross ur mind. There is so such thing as us. I am me, & you are you, we are no longer.