Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it is a funny book with a great message.
Me and My Big Mouse
By: Ethan Long
Pages: 32 pages – ages 3+
Published by: Two Lions on June 17, 2014
Theme/Topic: Friendship / Relationships
Genre: Fiction
Opening and Synopsis:
Opening – “This is me, Michael. And this is my big mouse.”
Synopsis – Michael likes his big mouse, Bo, but sometimes, Bo is a big problem. He hates to be left alone, so Bo follows Michael around. Everywhere. So, how can Michael get some free time without hurting his big mouse’s feelings?
Me and My Big Mouse – Our Review
Why I liked this book- Michael is a great kid, and he doesn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings. Bo (the mouse) while nice, can get annoying sometimes and Michael needs a little time without Bo. I like that Bo means well, but he sometimes comes out as over-loving. This book teaches that while you can be friends with someone, sometimes you just need some alone time, too. And even though friends need some alone time, they can still be friends. The illustrations are eye-pleasing and make you laugh out loud. The book is a fun one that I think that kids will really like! I like how Bo is gigantic, not simply “big”.
Activities and Resources-
When I was researching activities for this book I found a bunch of articles saying how important it was for kids to learn its okay to play alone or to be able to play with different groups of friends.
HERE is an article from Parents.com about teaching toddlers to play alone.
I think a good activity would be to have kids try to have play dates with different kids and if one friend is a little too clingy try to have the friend over while other friends are there so the clingy friend can make more friends.
It’s nice in school when teachers pair up different kids to be partners. I know I got to talk to and get to know some kids in my class that way.
Want to learn more? Check out Ethan Long’s website HERE!
To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE!
