Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears

Little Mouse's Big Books #1

by Emily Gravett

Everyone's scared of something . . . Young children will identify with the little mouse who documents his fears in the pages of this book from loud noises and the dark to being sucked down the plughole. Original and innovative, with flaps, die-cuts and even a hilarious fold-out map, this is another extraordinary picture book from the creator of WOLVES, winner of the 2005 Kate Greenaway Medal and Nestlé Award Bronze Medal.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2007

About the author

Emily Gravett is twice winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award for WOLVES and LITTLE MOUSE'S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. An author/illustrator of unique talent and tremendous skill, she has a host of critically acclaimed books to her name, including BLUE CHAMELEON, WOLF WON'T BITE! and AGAIN! Emily lives in Brighton with her partner and their daughter.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this unique and unusual book is absolutely brilliant.

It’s hilarious and serious both. It can be appreciated on so many levels, by many different readers/listeners-viewers, including very young children (without the names of the phobias) and readers of all ages through adulthood.

It would make a fabulous gift for anyone undertaking a new, scary endeavor, or any phobia sufferer.

The last page is a hoot.

The illustrations, including a pull out map, are just wonderful.

Note: Readers are encouraged to write in the blank spaces so this doesn’t make for an ideal library book.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork. I read this with my 3 year old nephew but this could be read with older children as there is some harder text on some of the pages. This book has a beautiful map, newspaper articles, adverts as well as the main and simple story.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a peculiar book! Not really a story, not really non-fiction, but something in between. A little mouse lists the things he's afraid of. Most of these phobia words I've never heard of. What captures your attention is Gravett's cute, clever illustrations. Little Mouse's pencil gets shorter and shorter as he gnaws the end in fear. Bird feathers turn into monsters; some pages are torn, burnt, or dog-eared on the edges. I'm not sure that children will get the connection between fear of heights and the map of the Isle of Fright, with its "Mount Apprehension". The ending is delightfully unexpected. Overall, very cute, a feast for the eyes, and informative as well. Recommended!

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic offer from a truly creative mind, and I believe also, from a team of designers and editors who put in so much in carrying out all the ideas: from the nibbled cover and pages, to the flip-the-flap effects, to the completely black page (yes, I was fooled in thinking, 'huh? this is the end of the book? No way...' and found out, to my great delight, that there is still half of the book to go and plenty more of information to come!) And of course, Gravett's talent in illustration is unparalleled! I just love that pencil, getting gnawed to a stub bit by bit.

It will appeal to those children who love words and love to collect the names of so many phobias. It will appeal to those children who love poring over pages with extra words and details quite a few times over. It will appeal to those who enjoy visual jokes ("I worry about having accidents." page has Little Mouse ... um... accidentally leaves something on the bottom of the page... -- opposing the picture of a toilet.)

I love the page where all the feathers "have eyes" and "sharp teeth." I love the page with the newspaper clipping about the farmer's wife and the three mouse tails. I love the page with the fold-out map of the Isle of Fright. Actually.. I think I simply love all the pages, each for a different reason.

[Anna Laskownicka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Gravett's book is definitely worth checking. 'Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears' is directed to young readers in order to make them aware that people might have different types of phobias. I very like that fears are depicted in a humorous way, therefore every child might go through the pages of this book without feeling distressed. The character of a little shy and skittish mouse is really appealing to me. As it goes through all the terrifying phobias, it looks scared itself, which might be a positive aspect for children who would not feel alone about their fears.

Additionally, I think that the message of this book, that fear is relative, is brilliant. When people are afraid of something, they often tend to focus on themselves, their bad feelings and negative attitudes towards other living creatures (e.g. spiders, UGH!). However, it is good to be reminded that other animals, or even other people might also be afraid of us - this makes the fear (of course depending on the intensity of the phobia) a little bit easier to be beared. It is a positive outcome of Gravett's book. I recommend reading it!

[Mar at BOOKIVERSE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I WISH I COULD FRAME THIS BOOK!

This book was gorgeous but I was expecting more.

Physically this book was just splendid. One of the most beautiful children book I have had the pleasure to read. The illustrations top notch! The expression of the little mouse very well done. It is mostly a mixed media composition and I ADORE mix media so I couldn’t get enough if these pages. The color palette, MY color palette.

The interactive features are just fantastic! Look at this gorgeous map of the Isle of Freight!

I wish I could have given this book a 5-star review but I guess I was expecting more. Yes, I think children will identify with all of Little Mouse’s fear but then.. WHAT? There was nothing about how to cope with those fears! So it kinda felt unfinished to me.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book, with many different cutouts and interesting details that help describe the many fears a little mouse has. Each page has its own dedicated page, with lots of space and invitations to write about your own fears, too. The illustrations are nicely detailed, with fun cutouts, flaps and a creative use of mixed media. Overall, there's not a lot of story, but still the book is entertaining. I, too, was fooled by the all black pages; could this possibly be the end of the book? Nope! We enjoyed reading this book aloud together.

[Klaudia Maniakowska · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, because it is as captivating as the rest of Emily Gravett’s works. Although “Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears” has the look and feel of a horror book, it is in fact an amusing picture book for children. Not only will it provide you with a set of different types of phobias, but it will also leave you with a warm sense that those who we are afraid of are usually scared of something as well.

[Juushika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little mouse fills out a create-this-book of phobias in order to work through her many, many fears. I loved this tip to tail. It's a deceptively simple gimmick brought to life by countless clever details: nibbled corners and interactive pages (which have held up well in this library copy, so kudos on the design); a wealth of morbid humor in the flavor text of newspaper cutouts and collage materials; endless texture, motion, and creativity in each panel. It's cute, highly relatable, and unexpectedly dark--with a funny coda that manages to be upbeat without spoiling the overall tone. I didn't love this quite as much as Wolves, but it comes close and makes me glad I'm checking out more of Gravett's work.

[Yelania Nightwalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abrir este libro es encontrarte con una edición preciosa. Desde la portada ya vemos cómo hay un hueco (donde se ve el ratoncito) como si alguien hubiera recortado esa página. Además, el mismo libro está lleno de ilustraciones y diversos formatos que la hacen parecer un libro antiguo. Realmente es maravilloso abrirlo sólo para disfrutar de todo el arte que tiene. 

El principal objetivo de este libro es que los niños reconozcan sus miedos y que vean que no son los únicos que los tienen, el ratoncito también los sufre. Además, hay muchas partes en el libro que vienen pensadas para que los niños puedan escribir lo que sienten o piensan al respecto y de hecho, los animan a expresarse en las páginas de este libro. 

Si bien las ilustraciones son preciosas, de pronto me parecía que este no es el tipo de libro que le gustaría a todos los niños, es decir, algunos podrían sentirse intimidados o asustados por lo que están viendo. Al no ser un cuento como tal, si recomendaría que este libro se trabaje en conjunto padre/madre-hijo. Siento que es la mejor manera en que se le puede sacar provecho. 

Al final no me queda más que decirles que si buscan un libro para trabajar las fobias con los pequeños, este un ejemplar que sin duda alguna, les será de mucha ayuda. Si por el contrario están buscando un cuento para ellos, pues no es tanto así, aunque ya sólo por la edición yo estoy encantada de tenerlo en mi librero.  This review was originally posted on Book's Minion

[Anastasia Hutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears
Review by Anastasia Hutson
This adventurous book is about a mouse who is scared of everything! Little Mouse takes us through all of his fears and worries of everyday life. This picture book is like a little journal that the mouse keep his fears in while also educating the reader on different fears that people can have. The plot of this picture book is in a journal type format that is very interactive with the reader. It has a story but a looser structure that allows the reader to have their own fun with the book and personalize it. Big Book of Fears was in the perspective of Little Mouse. This POV worked for the book because it put the reader in the shoes of the main character and helped them relate to the mouse on a personal level. This point of view also helped with the plot of the book because by using “I”, it fed into the journal feel. In terms of visual elements, typography was very useful in this style of book because the layout and written language was very untraditional. Instead of just being a text box with Times New Roman, the text was written with a hand written appeal as if the mouse had written the book himself, which is the whole idea. This was effective because again it gave into the idea of a journal layout. There are so many examples of this practice because the whole book has this style of writing throughout the whole story. Another visual element that was prominent is the orientation. This part is important because this book has a very scattered but put together format. A lot of pages have tears and holes and items attached to the inside which is very interactive for the reader and loses the idea of a traditional format which can be new for the audience. For example, on one of the pages the little mouse is talking his fear of getting lost and heights and then attached to the page is a map with the title “Visitors’ map of the isle of fright” that unfolds for the reader to explore the inside. Each page also has a worn down look that is a beige color with rips and tears, again, giving it that old journal feel. This picture book is postmodern because it relies on the character of the book to be the narrator and also strays from the tradition picture book format in terms of style, orientation, and narrative techniques and also letting the reader to be able to write in the book and make it their own . All together I enjoyed the book and thought it was a fun and playful story that could keep the younger audience engaged while also being educational with the added definitions of different fears at the top of each page.

[Kirah Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Little Mouse is afraid of almost EVERY THING. In this interactive book, Little Mouse takes you through his diary of fears. He is afraid of cats, dogs, the dark, knives, heights, getting lost, and so much more. The book ends with Musophobia, the fear of mice. Little Mouse writes "She's afriad of ME!" and is happy that he is no the only one who is scared of things.
2. This book would be good for grades k-4th.
3. This book could be used in class to help students identify their fears and understand it's okay to be afraid. They could talk though their fears together too.
4. Students who like animal fantasy would like this book. Students have fears would also identify with this book.
5. You could use this book in small groups. The students would like flipping the pages and finding the interactive slots and folds. They could talk together about shared fears.
6. This book would be good to read aloud in a lesson about facing fears. You could tell your students your personal fears. They would feel like you trusted them with your secrets. Thus they would share with you their fears. It would be a good group activity that would bring the class together.
7. Related books are Little Rat Rides, Scared and Worried, and The Rabbit Problem.
8. This book doesn't come in other formats.

[Kiwan Lear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was very good and fun to read. It's basically a book of all a little mouses fear with a very relatable twist. This book was hard to categorize as it didn't have much plot but wasn't non-fiction it was more just something to be read and enjoyed for what it was. The pictures in this book were awesome, I would even go as far to say this book would be nothing without them. The pictures and interactive pages added so very much to the story. The book was all taken from the perspective of the mouse and the content of the book along with common knowledge really made the book more enjoyable. The pictures in the book were so in depth that you could draw things out of them without the dialog even mentioning anything, for example the pencil being chew down do to nervousness. This book was very entertainment an had a lot of content which I didn't pick up on till the 3rd and even 4th read and I really think that along with the spectacular visuals made this book a worthwhile read.

[Bailey Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Gravett's Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears is a fun and spooky post modern picture book. The book is about a little mouse going through and writing down everything he is scared of. The book allows you to be with the mouse every step of the way using full-bleed illustrations. You are not just an observer you are experiencing the little mouse's fears with him. The illustrations make it seem real. You can see where the bugs have eaten through the pages, feel where the paper is cut, and you can pull out fun maps, newspaper clippings, and where the mouse is turning the page. The font is also the mouse's handwriting with pencil which makes the story more fun. The book is also easy to read and isn't long. This interactive story also helps you learn what phobias are and helps young children connect to the mouse because children can get scared too. The colors match the mood of the story as well. The black and red compliment each other and provide a spooky, dark mood. This book is a great postmodern picture book for children that I would recommend for any classroom or home.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third five-star review of the day, but I have been reading some outstanding books lately! I heard the delightful Emily Gravett speak at NCTE last month and immediately ordered two of her picture books. She shared with us her sketchbook that she used as she was creating Little Mouse, and I knew I had to have the book! I am a huge fan of collage, and this book is filled with quirky, detailed illustrations made from a variety of materials. The vocabulary is also intriguing. Each page provides the scientific name as well of the definition for one of Little Mouse's fears (most are real, some coined by the author) along with a blank space for the reader to write about or draw his or her own fears. Gravett says she overcame some of her fears through doodling and hopes to give readers the same opportunity through this funny and interactive book. It is unique and clever, and I highly recommend it!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from the creative mind of Emily Gravett, this picture book gently and informatively pokes fun at several common fears while tossing in the words for the fears themselves; for instance, arachnophobia (fear of spiders), rupophobia (fear of dirt), and the witty whereamiophobia (the fear of getting lost)all are examined through text and illustrations. Like all of us, Little Mouse has quite a few fears, and she can barely make it through the day because of all those fears--until the surprise ending. The oil-based pencil and watercolor illustrations are filled with feathers, cut-outs, torn edges, want ads, and even a Visitors' Map of the Isle of Fright. On two facing pages, Little Mouse's tail trails over into the next page, completely filled with a brown background of one shade and the different brown hue of a mouse's tail. I loved just about everything about this book and can read it over and over without being bored, and each time noticing something new.

[Ellen Chard · Rating 4 out of 5]

We felt this book would be best presented as a 1:1 read, instead of a whole class read as the intricate details are so essential to the story itself. The photos add a depth to the story and add a fun element to the book. The fears were well represented through a range of colour, framing, scale and the positioning: showing the control the fears can have on the mouse. The pictures in this book offer more than the text which would be great for inclusion and discussion purposes.

In terms of the implied reader, children would need to have a prior understanding of the term 'phobia' maybe discussing what their phobias are so they can gain a better perspective on how the character may feel.

A fun read that has great educational benefit for discussion on picture books! It is a complex read that would add a lot to a child's view on looking at books and how different elements of it can change how you read a story.

[Vicki Kier · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story within Emily Gravett's second Kate Greenaway medal winning Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears is cleverly hidden beneath a layer of ingeniously illustrated dictionary of common phobias. Accompanying exhibits of Little Mouse's fears are technical terms for them, written above a "Use the space below to record your fears" line. This instruction is unfortunate for a couple of reasons: there's little room to add much on many of the pages, which are elaborately filled with mixed media artwork or fold-out novelties: obviously a challenge for library distribution. Save this one for library story time, or give as a gift to the 4-8 crowd, who will likely return time and again to the "gnawed", corner-cut pages and sepia-toned illustrations.

[Shannon Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being that I was an extremely anxious kid myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun twist on common and some uncommon fears that kids and adults may experience. The interactive book includes incredible illustrations and even a pop out map! Great way to educate kids on phobias in a interesting, fun, and light-hearted way. The book provides the scientific terms of the fears but describes them through the text and illustrations, making them easy to understand, and even relate too. I plan on incorporating this book into a lesson plan focusing on emotions and detailing fears. Overall, I love love love this book!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very handsomely designed book. The nibbled pages, pull-aways, and collages reminiscent of "found" art make this a very unique book. The cataloging of the mouse's phobias is given a humorous twist at the end, as well. The narrative thread was a little weak, however. When it comes to children's books about fears or strong emotions, I like books that are able to provide the child with a sense of mastery over those feelings. I believe that was Gravett's aim with this book, but I'm not sure that it hits that mark.

[Carolinee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that Emily Gravett has her own distinct style of creating picture books and I am fascinated with it. Her books are intriguing and well-crafted. The illustrations and additional stuff included in the books are amazing. When it comes to the “Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears”, I really appreciate the map included which is something that one can analyze for a long time. I also like flaps and booklets because they make the book even more interesting. Even though the book presents different phobias, the story is amusing and definitely worth reading.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant for the right audience. Not so much for happy families, and not so much for fans of Scaredy Squirrel. Darker, more dramatic, more artsy, with lots of legitimate fears, and their scientific names, catalogued.
---
I thought that maybe after a few years it'd click for me. But I still think that it has limited appeal, and I admire it significantly more than I enjoy it. In fact, this time I'm rounding down from 3.5.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, the dust jacket has a hole gnawed through it by the mouse. I love the design, and the PandaBat appreciated the reinforcement of the idea that everyone is afraid of something, and many people are afraid of many things. Gravett is awesome, as is the design of this book. Did I menntion how cool the design is?

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it interesting that some names of actual phobias were in the book such as Teratophobia, the fear of monsters, Clinophobia, the dear of going to bed, Panophobia, fear of everything, or Sciaphobia, fear of shadows. Even though it is more of a "scrapbook", and there is not much action going on, it could be a good book to read when talking about fears.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So clever and funny and brilliant! Dear mouse, please be my friend. I will not tear out the pages of your little book, unlike the kids in my public library. I shall protect you from all scary things and feed your cheese.

[Huda Fel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked its illustration ; completing, explaining

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears is exactly what its title suggests: a picturebook that lists as well as creatively captions and illustrates multiple phobias (22 + 1 on the back endpaper, to be exact).

“It has been put together by an expert in worrying, who draws on a lifetime’s experience of managing her fears through the medium of doodle.

You too can overcome your fear through the use of art!”

Although there isn't much of a story, the mouse's comments and explanations for the phobias are playful and punny, and the interactive artwork is exceptional: expert pencil and watercolor drawings, mixed media collages, cutouts, flaps, and even a fold-out map:






And the last page turn is a perfect, humorous example that “Everyone is scared of something.”

[Colleen Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be a great way to open discussion about children’s fears. This book was so interactive, including pages being nibbled and maps to open and explore. I loved how Gravett leaves space to encourage readers to write down their own fears.

[Efra Ardila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro devuelve la importancia de las sorpresas que se pueden llevar los lectores cuando se puede jugar con lo físico del objeto. Lo recomiendo siempre que quieran divertirse con lo maravilloso de abrir y cambiar páginas en un libro.

[Yayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un cuento muy necesario sobre todo para les más pequeñes.

Esta historia nos muestra los distintos tipos de fobias que tiene nuestro amiguito Ratoncito, nos cuenta cómo las vive y maneja, acompañado de unas ilustraciones muy bellas. No está de más recalcar el trabajo de diseño pop-up que tiene este libro, troquelados, páginas con hojas rasgadas, mapas desplegables y más cosas que harán que la experiencia lectora sea disfrutable para personas de todas las edades. ¡Totalmente recomendado!