King Mouse by Cary Fagan illustrated by Dena Seiferling

"A mouse woke up hungry. He came out his hole and sniffed the air." 

Then he noticed something on the grass - a tiny glittering crown. By simply putting on the crown the other animals decide this mouse must be the king. They set about gathering tempting food and then perform a play for his amusement. Wait a minute a snake comes along and she finds another crown. Perhaps she is the queen? All the animals bow low. Then the fox finds a crown, the tortoise finds a crown and the crow finds a crown. Everyone has a crown - everyone except the bear. 

"The bear lowered his head. It wasn't any fun being the only one who wasn't a king or a queen. He lumbered away."

If you are reading this book with an older group of students you might stop the story at this point and ask the group to think of ways to resolve or conclude this story.

Step into this book - King Mouse - slowly. The first page is very important. A young child is riding a tricycle with a tray at the back. The tray holds some paper crowns and the child has not noticed but nearly all of them have spilled out of the tray into the grass.

Now go back to the cover. The title is in embossed gold foil! Under the dust jacket there is a surprise. On the front end paper there is a gold 'Ex-Libris' illustration that looks like a book plate. I even love the book dedication - 'To my grade two teacher, Miss Applebaum, wherever you are.'

Even though this is a hardcover book from the US it is affordable for your school library and I think it would be an excellent addition if you have some money to spend. [9781406393774]

Remember I said to linger over the first page - make sure you also linger over the final image too. 

Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today. Kirkus Star review

When the mouse is able to look beyond his own situation and notice someone who is in distress, it is profound and moving. 32 Pages: A passion for Picture Books

“Crisp writing, a story that engages and challenges early readers, gorgeous illustrations, and a warming conclusion make this a must-read for all parents and older children.” Sublime Book review

Fagan’s dialogue-rich storytelling spotlights themes of pride, envy, disappointment, friendship, inclusion, and modesty and makes this a perfect tale ... Celebrate picture Books

The perfect companion read for this book is It fell from the Sky by the Fan Brothers.

Here are some other books illustrated by Dena Seiferling including a new one by Eric Fan.

Read an interview with Dean Seiferling about her book. You can also see art from King Mouse with the interview.