Recommended for ages 2-4
A mouse accompanies his human friend to school, and things snowball from there. The Mouse, first introduced in Ms. Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, is back, and he is still pushing his boundaries with his human friend; this time in school. Mouse discovers new friends and activities, which include writing a book, playing basketball, riding a skateboard, and performing a science experiment. Visual cues link If You Take a Mouse to School to the original story: there are chocolate chip cookies on the boy’s pajamas; they show up in a lunch box, and as a refrigerator magnet. Felicia Bond’s watercolors are bright and crisp and stand out against the stark white background, inviting readers to look closely at the action featured on every page. There is a lot of action to see, too; Mouse is in constant motion, popping up in a lunchbox, kicking a soccer ball, or running with a group of children. Preschoolers will enjoy imagining a fun day at school with a tiny visitor of their own.
This would be a fun read-aloud for preschoolers preparing for Kindergarten. There are many back-to-school songs to sing in a school-related read-aloud. There is also a Mouse plush doll available; a fun read-aloud could include Mouse “sitting” with attendees, and asking each attendee how they would spend a school day with Mouse.
The Mouse series includes If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which is the first Mouse story, and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. The books are part of the larger “If You…” series, which includes titles such as If You Give a Moose a Muffin; If You Give a Pig a Pancake; and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.
The author’s website offers coloring pages and resources for teachers and parents.
Mom Read It 