Parents' Guide to Little Mouse Gets Ready

Book Jeff Smith Humor 2009
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Common Sense Media Review

Darienne Stewart By Darienne Stewart , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Comic starring eager mouse will delight young readers.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Little Mouse is excited to join his family on a trip to the barn. But first, he carefully gets dressed, talking about his hopes for the big trip and explaining each step as he gets ready. He works through all the challenges, like those buttons that always seem too big for the holes. The surprise ending bowls over Little Mouse -- and readers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Author and illustrator Jeff Smith, best known for his Bone series for older readers, serves up a sweet and funny tale that is perfectly geared to emerging readers. They’ll readily relate to Little Mouse’s eagerness, and to all the work that goes into getting dressed. Bold lines, engaging artwork, and an appealing hero make this a can’t-miss book. It’s a delightful addition to the Toon Books line of first comics for young readers.

Comic-style illustrations use perspective, bold lines, and a simple background to great effect for focused storytelling.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about getting ready for the day. What would you wear for a trip to a barn? What are the most challenging things for you to put on?

  • Little Mouse works hard to get ready, only to find out all that effort was unnecessary. Has that ever happened to you? How did you feel?

  • Every joke has a setup and a punch line. Look at how the author sets up the punch line here. Are there any clues to what will happen? Would the punch line work if Little Mouse’s mother was in the scene while Little Mouse was getting dressed?

  • Talk about the design of the book, paying particular attention to the sequential panels. Try creating a simple comic book of your own.

Book Details

  • Author : Jeff Smith
  • Genre : Humor
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Raw Junior
  • Publication date : September 21, 2009
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
  • Number of pages : 32
  • Last updated : November 11, 2020

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