Mouse Count

by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Count along with these adventurous mice as they make their escape from a hungry snake. Available for the first time as a lap-sized board book, this suspenseful journey will delight children all over again!

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Mathematics, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Number

30 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Ellen is the daughter of Joseph Adolphus (a businessman) and Nell (Orum) Stoll; married David Albert Walsh (a professor), August 25, 1964; children: Benjamin Martin. She was educated at Maryland Institute of Art, B.F.A., 1964; attended University of Minnesota, 1966-69.
She lives in upstate New York.

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disturbing would be the word I would use to describe this book as a snake collects mice in order to eat them and counts his victims in the process.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In our preschool room we often have the children act out Mouse Count. Ten children become mice and one the snake and one a rock with an area marked for the jar. Then the children have to act their parts. We always read it three or four times to give each child a part in the story. When they act out the story they are having a first experience with a play, another way to present pre-literacy skills that will help them learn to read and write and enjoy books. Plus acting the story makes number sense and counting a skill that is useful in the play of the children and a real experience for them to participate in. Mouse Count is a good book to use as a play because it has so many simple parts with easy actions that are fun for the children.

[Cosette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little disappointed. I was so looking forward to watching a snake consume 10 mice in one sitting. I mean, previously this week I read a book where the distribution of seeds through a bird's digestive track was euphemistically explained so deftly that even the meaning was lost on my listener. This book was going to deliver. Sigh. It did not. And yet, it left the impression that mice are capable of problem solving. Yuck.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most counting books are just that! Counting books. But this is a story, too.

A snake counts how many mice he catches, to eat! Ten mice who were careful about predators, but accidentally fell asleep. The story follows this, and shows how the mice manage their great escape from the greedy fellow!

Good. Again, I loved that it was more than an ordinary counting book!

[createitlibrarian (Amanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little trickster counting book. Great for 2-4 years of age.

[Nathan Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good! To be fair, the rock’s silhouette does look a little like a mouse.

[Naomi & Edith Saucke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit morbid for my taste

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book from our Kindergarten basics box we got from the library, the kids enjoyed it. It goes over counting up to ten. A level 1 reading level it's good for any age learning to count and recognize numbers. The illustrations are really cute, and it's one of the few counting/numbers books that also counts backwards, a valuable skill that should be included in other counting books more often.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a screwed up story! Snakes stealing mice to eat them??? Who writes this stuff for kids?!?!

[Nicole Pannella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Mouse Count
Author: Ellen Stoll Walsh
Illustrator: ^
Genre: Concept Book, Counting Book
Theme: Counting, Mice, Snakes
Opening line/sentence: One fine day, some mice played in the meadow. They were careful to watch for snakes.

Brief Book summary: This book allows readers to count along with the hungry snake as her gather ten mice to eat for dinner later that night. The snake becomes too greedy and wants more and more mice, until the mice trick the snake and end up getting away. This story offers forward and backwards counting.

Professional recommendation/review 1:
Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature/ CLCD)
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
The lap-sized board book is approximately the same size as the original hardcover. Because of the thick pages it is actually heavier. But then again it is also sturdier. Some little mice who are playing in the meadow decide to take a nap. While they are sleeping a snake comes along and begins to put them into a jar for his meal later. One at a time he adds the little, warm, and tasty mice: one, two, three, etc. He thinks there are enough when he reaches ten. One fast-thinking little mouse says there is another big mouse nearby. Being greedy, the snake leaves to fetch the big mouse. Alas, it is only a rock. While he is gone, however, the little mice rock the jar and escape. Walsh's lively collage mice and the snake that seems to slither from one page to the next are truly engaging. It is a welcome title in this sturdy format.

Professional recommendation/review 2:
Susie Wilde (Children's Literature/ CLCD)
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
This book is new to board book format. It tells a simple story of survival of the fittest, with subtle concepts underneath. This combination makes for a book that can be shared for a number of years. It has wonderful illustrations that both parents and children will enjoy.

Response to professional reviews: I agree with both reviews. I think the snake plays a role in the book that keeps the audience or reader wanting to see what is on the next page. i too noticed some underlying concepts and messages throughout the book that would be good to touch base on for a younger audience.

Evaluation of literary elements: The illustrations go along with the text well in this story. Walsh's use of blank or white color allows the reader to visually see space in the jar in which the snake adds his mice to. This allows the reader to more easily count with the mouse and realize that as the jar is becoming less and less spacious the number of mice is going up, or counting upwards. At the end this plays the same rolls the mice one by one empty the jar and begin to count themselves down.

Consideration of instructional application: This book does a good job of letting the reader anticipate what will happen next. Will the snake be ready to eat his mice, or will he continue to collect more. A good mini lesson you could use with this short counting book could be based off making inferences and predictions. After completing a read aloud, you can have the children read it themselves once more. Perhaps they could come up with heir own version of a counting book, or even a new ending of how the ten mice escape. You could connect this book to math being that it is based around the idea of counting, or even relate it to predator and prey concepts, or just snakes and mice in general.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mouse Count by Ellen Walsh uses the playful story of a snake capturing mice to introduce counting principles. The snake collects the mice one by one, demonstrating forward counting, and later, as the mice escape, the story transitions into subtraction and backward counting. This narrative structure provides a concrete way for students to engage with both addition and subtraction while reinforcing number sense, sequencing, and understanding of how quantities change.

The book aligns with Van de Walle’s (elementary math textbook) teaching strategies by supporting multiple representations of numbers. Students can see the mice visually, count them numerically, and conceptually track how many are added or subtracted as the story progresses. Additionally, the book’s structure allows for scaffolding, starting with simple counting and moving toward more complex tasks, such as predicting outcomes. The interactive nature of the story makes it a valuable tool for engaging students in problem-solving, allowing them to explore math concepts in an enjoyable, story-driven context.

[Taylor Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about ten mice that were playing. They ended up falling asleep, which got them into some trouble. While they are sleeping, a snake takes them and places them all into a jar. After getting those mice, the snake still wanted more. When the mice wake up, they trick the snake into thinking there were more of them and the snake should go looking. While the snake is searching, the mice are able to escape.

This was a good book. The illustrations were not exciting to me, but the book illustrated easy counting skills.

This would be a good book to talk about teamwork. It could also be used to work on counting skills.

[Rachel]

This was recommended by a kindergarten math book, and I borrowed it from our library’s digital collection. I think if I had seen a copy first I probably wouldn’t have borrowed it, but as it was I decided to read it and comment on the mice’s resilience and creativity in the face of a threat. My child got into the spirit of it with that guidance, but I think it was a disturbing way to write a book for children who are practicing counting up and down to ten. I was pretty sure the mice were going to make it, but I was nervous enough to wish I had checked!

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sneaky snake is slithery through the meadow one day, when he comes across the jar. He has the idea that he can use that jar to count his dinner, mice, and before he eats them. The sneaky snake counts all 10 of his mice up, one by one as he puts them into a jar, little did the snake know the mice have a trick up their sleeve, and escape the jar unharmed. This early concept book gets the concept across in a cute, simple manner.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about ten mice that get caught by a greedy snake that wants to eat them. He counts them as he puts them in a jar. The clever mice find a way to get out of the jar while the snake is looking for more. This book shows young readers how to count up to ten and then counts backwards too. This book could be acted out in a Kindergarten classroom, some first grade students could read this book themselves. You could have a discussion with young children about what it means to be greedy.

[Liz Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems a bit scary because it seems as thought the cute mice are going to get eaten, but they rescue themselves in the end. This gory element might engage some children. Good for counting to 10. Children could represent the mice with counters on a ten frame as the story progresses. Teaches them that objects can be represented by abstract counters. This teaching idea is from WhiteRose (Year 1).

[Ashley Wannenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book "Mouse Count" written by Ellen Stoll Walsh. I think that the book is very good for children who are learning how to count. It is a good book for children of any age, and the illustrations in the book are extremely cute. I also liked how the book included not only counting upwards, but the book also counts backwards from 10.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very cute book that I would use in a number sense lesson for numbers 1 through 10. Five and six year old children figure out the pattern and predict the outcome easily and are really proud of themselves. It delighted my students to be able to figure out the ending before I got that far in the reading. The illustrations are beautiful, just as they were in Mouse Paint.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 4 out of 5]

While 10 mice take a nap, a snake comes along and thinks they would make a tasty snack. He counts them as he puts them into a jar for later. Naturally, the mice outwit him and “uncount” themselves (counting back down from 10 to 0) and escape. Like all of the “mouse” books, it is nice to see the mice win this one as well.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It wasn’t quite a concept book, but it did involve teaching adding when the snake added mice to the jar. I could see this book being used in a beginning math class about edition with visual aids. It also had subtraction at the end. It was a cute book, but not quite what I was looking for.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Counting to ten and back down again is fun and rewarding in this suspenseful story of playing mice who forgot to consider the snake (!) who became hungry and loaded those mice into a jar until he had 10. The clever mice encouraged the greedy snake to LOOK! a bigger mouse! Off he went and the mice, of course, got out of the jar 10, 9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.

[Set · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of creepy old nursery rhymes or tales parents would tell their children before going to bed. It may sound a bit spooky if told in a childlike melody but dreadfully terrifying when illustrated. Pretty much it's about a snake that collects his terrified meal in a jar while he's off to find more to fill the jar.

[Maudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre:Modern Fantasy
Grade:K
I love this book I could definitely use this in a kindergarten class to introduce counting to the class. Absolutely adore this book I have so many ideas rushing through my head when I think of lesson plans for this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy to read. This little snake shouldn't have been greedy and just been satisfied with the mice he had instead of looking for more. When he goes searching for more mice, it gives the mice a chance to escape and when the snake returns he finds nothing. This is a cute story to read.

[Courtney Heard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for kids to practice adding onto other numbers they have already counted and to also introduce a little bit of subtraction.

Six +1Traits: presentation, idea
DRA Level: 10
Lexile: AD490L

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A snake was very hungry and filled a jar he found with 10 little mice while they were sleeping. The reader gets to count them from 1 to 10. They tricked the snake - and the reader gets to count them escaping from 10 - 1. Nicely illustrated.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love this book along with Mouse Paint and Mouse Count. This is a great counting book with a little suspense (will the snake eat the sleeping mice?? I had to reassure Elliot they’d be ok when he got a little worried the first time). Great for toddlers and preschoolers

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could see some kids finding this book kind of scary, as the hungry snake snatches up the warm sleeping mice! But ultimately the mice outsmart the snake and this is an effective counting book.

Themes: Mice, Counting
Age range: Toddler-Preschool

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this book to teach a ESL Kindergarten lesson about numbers and counting.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars