Three Pebbles and A Song

by Eileen Spinelli, S.D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Snow is coming! Mama tells Moses to gather supplies-quick, quick, quick! But as Moses makes his way through the forest, he hears a whistle-y song, and an inspiration to play and dance. Will he be able to share these not-so-practical delights with his practical-minded family?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Animals, Fiction, Nature, Food

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2003

About the author

Eileen Spinelli is an award-winning children's book author from southeastern Pennsylvania. She has written over 100 picture books and novels for children. Her husband is Jerry Spinelli, who also writes books for children.

Reviews

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous art and cute story

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations & very sweet story.

[Aileen Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautifully written story of a mouse family getting ready for winter's approach. Mama mouse, Papa mouse, and Moses's sister, Missy, all tell him he should be gathering warm things and food. But as Moses sings, dances, and juggles the day away, snow arrives before he can collect anything but three small pebbles. When Moses arrives at his home, Mama has gathered crumbs, Papa has gathered rags for their beds, and Missy has gathered raisons. The only one who hasn't brought anything of value home is Moses. Or has he?

[kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some gather what is needed for the body, and some gather what is needed for the spirit.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art work even though I don't like mice!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all play our own part in the world.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5.5 year old read this by himself and liked the story. I liked that what the boy brought was eventually helpful, though the responsible part of me is bothered that he didn't mind his parents.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Across the moonlit fields crackly old leaves twirled and skittered. And so did Moses.

And so begins a lovely atmospheric tale of a little mouse family who gathers supplies for the winter. Moses gets distracted, and gathers all the “wrong” things, but in the end his creative spirit is enjoyed by the whole family. I love the language in this book and the illustrations are gorgeous.

I have been reading this with Cameron for years, but somehow it was not on my Goodreads shelf when I looked for it here yesterday. Hmph.

[Madison Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for students to read. Students could relate to the main character because he doesn't do as his parents or sister tells him to. This book shows that sometimes creativity is important in creating fun. This book also shows the idea of finding the good in bad situations. The illustrations in this book are very helpful to visualize what is going on in the story.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful reminder that everyone has something to contribute and it's not always the same thing.

A mouse family gets ready for winter, but Moses doesn't find anything warm or tasty to bring home.

[Megan B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[T]

A sweet children’s book.

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red 5th

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't appreciate books where children don't do what parents ask them to do and there is no natural consequence. For that reason, I don't know that I'd read this one again.

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring story but nice illustrations

[Alison Eddy - Kids Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, cozy winter book.

[What April's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book about a mouse family and what they each contribute for the long winter ahead.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter is coming, and like Moses and his family, we need more than food and warmth to get us through.

[Alana Shum · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comforting read for little people!

[MotherofReaders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I like the message that entertainment and play (or better yet, a positive attitude) is a useful contribution (it certainly is) and that everyone’s natural gifts have something to offer. My preschooler and Grandmother of Readers really liked the book.

However, it also rubs me the wrong way. I think what it is is that wouldn’t everyone (certainly every child) choose to be the bringer of play and entertainment rather than of physical necessities or basic family responsibilities if given the choice? In a way, this glamorizes and validates doing those things INSTEAD of doing basic responsibilities, a thing that likely doesn’t need to be made more attractive in the mind of a child? If every member of the family had made the “fun” choice wouldn’t they all have starved? And why does that one mouse get the luxury of making the fun choice? So the book has a positive message but i think it also has a negative message about avoiding responsibility, not empathizing with others and it being an acceptable choice to rely on others to do the hard and boring part of the work while you get to enjoy yourself in order to lighten others’ souls (couldn’t this latter “fun” work be shared if the burdens were also shared?). I think if the mouse had made an effort to collect but didn’t have the talent to collect as many as the other mice and then was able to offer this other joyful contribution, I would have enjoyed the story and it’s message more.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Pebbles and A Song is a story about a family of mice, with a son named Moses who marches to the beat of his own drum. Winter is coming and the mice are gearing up for a long and cold season ahead. They keep telling Moses to stop what he is doing--dancing, singing, and playing with pebbles--and collect what they need for the winter. However, once winter hits Moses has only danced, sung, and played with pebbles while the rest of his family collected food and warm things for the winter. There is more than enough goods to go around the family during the winter season but everyone is bored stiff. Moses was able to bring fun and excitement into the house with his dances, songs, and pebble games that they forgot it was winter and spring came unnoticed. Moses' quirky personality and collection of things engaged the rest of the family for the remainder of winter.

[Fibersian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in the family helps gather supplies for the winter except for Moses. He enjoys the beauty of his surroundings picking up pebbles and singing a song. When the family has been in their snug house for a long winter they are bored. Moses entertains them with his pebbles and stories and songs.

A story that highlights the importance of everyone in a group having unique value to help each other.

This a good story. The pleasure of reading.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is astounding.
The story is beautiful about each contributing from their skills or talents. The only misgiving I had was that it's more that Moses just lucked into being able to contribute something valuable, not that he had a bigger vision or was being responsible in a different way.
But I loved this one in spite of that, mostly for the artwork, and the casual introduction of Be Nice To Mice Day.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a young mouse who is told by all of his family members to gather food and supplies for winter. But, he gets distracted over and over. However, when the family is burrowed for the long winter, his distractions come to the rescue to relieve the boredom.

The illustrations show realistic mice dressed in clothes and the bleak landscape of winter in dark, deep colors.

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little book about a mouse who fails to prepare for winter in the way everyone else prefers. They all discover, though, that his singing helps them through the cold winter in a way that food can't.

[Darrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

seasons change gatering harvest. music lesson. keeping focused, distracted. predictions. boredom imagination, scavenger hunt.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute little story great for reading out loud and a good use of repetition

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Attitude is everything. We all have our own gifts. Both messages came through loud and clear in an engaging, non-teachery story. Loved it.

[Kathy Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about everyone contributing to families well being.