What do one thousand things really look like? Let Little Mouse show you in this stunning collection of first words to see and say. Search-and-find Little Mouse on every page and discover new words with every turn of the page.
Stylishly laid out, the book is arranged by theme and features fully illustrated collections of "things", each clearly labeled and easy to recognize. This value-packed 80 page book covers everything from space, to the human body, to the world around us, bringing contemporary appeal to a classic subject.
Containing one thousand first concepts, this book is perfect for parents and guardians to use at home with little learners, with the huge array of concepts providing hours of exploration, education and enjoyment.
2.5 stars. I really like the simple style of the illustrations, they look like cut outs and remind me of fuzzy felt. I appreciated the addition on the colours page of olive green and rose. I was very surprised that on the 'What will you be when you grow up' page they show that a man could be an artist, a builder, a farmer, a musician, a doctor or a vet and then they show a woman could be a teacher or a cook! I thought that was shocking for a modern book, surely they could have shown half the professions with men and half with women? That lost a star for me. Otherwise a nice book.
Having just gone back to double check there wasn't a second page of professions (which there wasn't) I also noticed a page where a man is kicking, a woman is dancing, a man is an astronaut, a woman is looking after some children, a girl is skipping, a boy is building.......
I thought that this book was beautifully illustrated. I loved the simple illustrations with the name of the item. I think this would be perfect for any early readers learning vocabulary. I do wish there was a little more diversity in this book and showed more occupations and blended families. It wasn't super necessary for this book but just some food for thought.
Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot to love about this vibrantly produced and character filled vocabulary builder. We follow Little Mouse through a range of different spread and scenes designed to increase vocabulary in a variety of contexts: colours, seasons, body parts, vegetables, weather and many more.
Anna Kövecses artwork is rich and stimulating. There's a retro tone to it, creams coupled with characters that look like they've been cut out and stuck in. There's hints of decoupage but also those vibrant moments of imaginative expression where a triangle becomes a boat sail or a rectangle becomes a nose. I welcome also Kövecses' usage of diverse characters and settings and would have welcomed more of these spreads. There is a truth in reflecting the world in a book like this.
Certain of the spreads jarred a little for me; there's a shift in perspectives from straight on through to top down on some spreads that took me a moment or two to figure out, and in other spreads,the labelling text for the element doesn't fit quite onto the element itself. I'm thinking in particular of the 'vegetables' and the 'what can you do outside' spread in particular for these two examples. These moments diverted me from the intense poetry and fluidity of these pages and whilst I'm intensely conscious of the fact that such a response is couched in my personal context, I'm conscious that books like this develop vocabulary but also visual literacies. And in a book that is as genuinely beautiful and rich as this, it's hard for me to ignore such stutters. I'd have also welcomed some utilisation of the endpapers; exploiting areas like these help children to develop their literacies around the book and the space of the book itself.
I am picky about One Thousand Things for one very simple reason. It is something that is really rather good, vividly unique and evocative, and I can see the space where it can fly into something quite shatteringly brilliant.
Loved it so much, we bought it after we returned it to the library. Love this cute mouse, finding him on each page propelled us through the book as we identified together. Love all the vocab it introduces. Found the illustrations to be charming. Great teaching tool.
Book Review: One Thousand Things: Learn your first words with Little Mouse by Anna Kovecses
Rating: 4 Stars
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "One Thousand Things: Learn your first words with Little Mouse" by Anna Kovecses, and I have to say, it's a delightful find for anyone with little ones just starting out on their language journey. This book is a visual treat, with its beautifully simple illustrations that instantly grabbed my attention. Each page is like a mini-adventure where you can join Little Mouse in exploring a world filled with vibrant colors and charmingly drawn objects.
The concept of trying to visualize what one thousand things look like might seem daunting, but Kovecses breaks it down in such a clever and engaging way. Little Mouse acts as our guide, leading us through a diverse range of scenes—from the mysteries of space to the intricacies of the human body, and everything in between. The book cleverly combines fun and education, turning each page into a new opportunity to learn something exciting.
For parents or guardians looking to enrich their children’s vocabulary, this book is a treasure trove. It’s packed with first concepts and words that are easy to grasp for early readers. I particularly loved how the items are clearly labeled next to their illustrations, making it super intuitive for kids to pick up new words. Little Mouse makes learning interactive and enjoyable, keeping young minds entertained and curious.
Whether you're exploring colors, seasons, body parts, or even vegetables and weather, this book has a little bit of everything. It's a perfect companion for curious kids who love to explore the world around them. The vibrant production and character-filled pages ensure that it’s not just educational but also a joy to flip through.
While it might not be groundbreaking literature, "One Thousand Things" earns a solid four stars from me for its creativity and effectiveness as a vocabulary builder. It’s definitely worth adding to your child's bookshelf for countless hours of engaging learning.
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Thank you to NetGalley and Wide Eyed Editions for the opportunity to read and review this book.
For a book intended for the very very tiny humans, I felt like the contrast in this book was off and it made all pages look the same instead of catchy and entertaining. Illustration wise I like a minimalist style for tiny humans but this one was not it - this one was just too bland and too samey-samey.
The pages were too flimsy as well - again, for a tiny tiny human you need cardboard pages if you want to use the book more than once. And it's a tad bit too long - I think it could've worked better as a series, with fewer but cardboard pages, square size (cause tiny tiny hands) and better contrast on the illustrations.
As other reviewers pointed out, there are some pages where it feels rather sexist.
A book that might make you think you've learnt a thousand things, before showing us an actual spread containing, apparently, a thousand different things. Here are workers, landscape elements, parts of our face and body, our numbers, seasons and relatives – all arrayed in themed pages that help us, with clear labelling, to really boost or ensure our early vocab. The visuals are a sort of quietly cartoonish kind, with great clarity, to make it easier to ascertain things. Oh, and there is also a mouse character to keep on spotting as we turn the pages, so we may well be returning to this just for the fun, as opposed to the lesson. With nothing to mark it down for, it's well worth the consideration.
I guess this is good for building vocabulary... I found it loathsome. The pictures are bright and pretty for the first 4 pages and then the whole concept becomes tired. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the "professions" page was laughably limiting to the female gender for possible career paths.
It’s true that the occupation page shows a male doctor and a female teacher; the family page shows a mom, dad, grandpa, grandma model—some find this problematic & I get it. However, I don’t think it ruins the book; these things can be used to spark discussion with children, “Here we see a doctor who is a man, but you have had many doctors who are women. We believe that all people deserve the same opportunities.” I don’t know. There are basically nine hundred other positive things in this book. For example, I really enjoy the “Things in nature” and “Things inside your house” sections, as well as the colorful, attractive retro-modern illustrations.
Explore this visual encyclopedia of first words for early readers. Follow Little Mouse from page to page learning 1,000 basic things around the house, things you can do, and things you can see.
The book is packed with simple, eye-catching illustrations that really draw in young kids. It's full of basic words that pre-kindergarten children will love, making it a great pick for early language learning. The book serves as a fun way for little ones to explore and understand their world. Its simplicity might not keep older kids as interested, so it's perfect for the pre-k crowd. Overall, its charming visuals and easygoing content make it a delightful read for the youngest book lovers.
Cute book that covers basic vocabulary for young children. Each 2-page spread contains animated pictures with labels around a theme (What animals are on a farm? cow, pig, etc.). There is a cute mouse that kids can search for on each page. Pages are not overcrowded. A few words are British English vocabulary, and the book is produced by a British publisher. Not an issue, but some American English speakers may want to be aware.
Age - Birth-6 (sight words are great)
This honest review was given in exchange for a Netgalley ebook copy.
I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions through NetGalley. Kovecses offers a fun way to look at 1000 words for young readers. Each page spread is dedicated to a different topic with identifying words. The brightly colored artwork will pull readers in to identify the pictures/shapes/colors, etc. to connect them to the words. A terrific book for young families and preschool classrooms.
Fantastic book as a gift for 1-3 year old. Cute beautiful illustration with words about basics from shapes, numbers, seasons, kitchen, animals, dinosaurs, space, opposites, actions.
We borrowed this from the library and decided to buy the bilingual version in english and mandarin. Looks great on the shelf too!
I will definitely be purchasing this book for my library. This is exactly the kind of book that the little kids I work with love - bright, colorful pictures with easy to identify objects that they can point to and name (or ask an adult to name). It helps put in perspective what 1,000 things look like, even for me!
Not the best word book and a bit confusing. When you add colors like rose, navy, and olive they are just blue, pink, and green to my daughter. On the fruit page my daughter said the grapes were blueberries which makes sense since the grapes are round and they are blue. Later doing the bedroom page they labeled the blocks as toys so since my daughter knows them as blocks I told her it was ok. The pictures are ugly and very basic so they do not really stand out. This is not one I will be reading again.
Such a sweet encyclopedia of first words. It is set up in categories and you have to find the mouse on each page. Well, when I read this to my grandsons, I point the little guy out. They are just 9 months, so I am not sure how much they are retaining, however, I do know from history that if you read to your children on a daily basis they will grow up to be better readers!
The graphics keep the littles entertained while you point out each word. It has quite an "old feel" about the entire book. I love it! I recieved a copy for free for review. All opinions are my own.
An inviting and enjoyable visual encyclopedia introducing a variety of first words and concepts to preschool audiences. The content is organized into sections such as "First Things to Learn," "Things to Do with You," and "Things Around the World."
When I first read it to my 5 small children I wasn't that impressed. The style and illustrations were ugly and drab to me, which I'm guessing my children felt similarly as no one picked it up again over a 2 week period. I'm giving it 2 stars because I liked the concept, just not the execution.