If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
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The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is an animated series inspired by the characters from Laura Numeroff's popular children's books. These darling stories show Mouse, Pig, Cat, Moose, Dog, and their human friends following their imaginations into all kinds of funny circumstances. Kids see that actions have consequences that aren't always predictable. There's a lot of crossover between the books and this show's animation and dialogue, and sweet representations of friendship, kindness, and curiosity throughout.
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- Kids say
Charming show that models sharing and caring
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What's the story?
In IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE, Mouse (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) and his human friend, Oliver (Mason Mahay), have all sorts of misadventures with Pig (Jessica DiCicco), Moose (Smith again), Cat (Lara Jill Miller), Dog (Jeff Bennett), and their favorite people pals. No matter how ordinarily their day starts, there's no telling where their paths will take them when they follow their imaginations, and inevitably it always circles back to where they started. Through it all, they rediscover the importance of friendship, responsibility, and learning from mistakes.
Is it any good?
Numeroff's much beloved book characters are even more absorbing in these funny, heartwarming stories about impulsive Mouse and his friends. His imagination leads him in all sorts of unexpected directions -- playing superhero around the neighborhood, inventing a new game for mouse-size folks, and inviting his friends for an impromptu camping extravaganza -- all inspired by a simple object or a new idea. It's the kind of thing kids can relate to, and the lively stories celebrate creativity and trying new things.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie doesn't draw directly from the books for the plots of its stories, but fans will notice scenery and particular objects that are inspired by the written tales, since the animation stays so true to Felicia Bond's charming illustrations. At several points throughout the stories, the dialogue also mimics Numeroff's rhythmic "if/then" lines, helping kids make connections between the characters' actions and what happens next. These gentle reminders of cause and effect are not only funny, but also likely to prompt conversations about consequences and solving problems.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how the characters' actions play out and what the characters learn from them. Are they able to fix every problem that arises in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? What do they do when they can't fix a problem themselves?
What positive character traits do you notice in Mouse and his friends? At what points do you see them being compassionate or kind? Can you relate their experiences to your own life?
Kids: Do you generally like seeing book characters come to the screen in movies or TV shows? Which ones do you think have been done most successfully? How does reading a book challenge our imagination in a way TV can't? How does your family encourage reading?
TV details
- Premiere date: November 7, 2017
- Cast: Mason Mahay, Roger Craig Smith, Jeff Bennett
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Book Characters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Curiosity
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Available on: Streaming
- Award: Common Sense Seal
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