Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse: A Tail of the U. S. Supreme Court

by Peter W. Barnes

Overview

Should mice be able to eat any cheese they please? That’s the question in front of Chief Justice Marshall J. Mouse and his mice justices in Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse. Written and illustrated by the award winning and bestselling writer/illustrator team Peter and Cheryl Barnes, Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse follows the United Mice of America’s Supreme Court as Chief Justice Marshall and his fellow mice justices debate the constitutionality of a sacred mouse law. Children will be educated and entertained as they learn about everything from petitioning the high court to handing down decisions to the laws of the land. With a “find the turtle” activity throughout the book and a resource section for teachers and parents at the end, Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse, delights and amuses kids as they learn about the Constitution, court opinions, and our nation’s laws.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596987890
Publisher:	Little Patriot Press
Publication date:	09/10/2012
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Peter and Cheryl Barnes are a husband and wife writing/illustrating team who specialize in educational books for children. They are creators of the bestselling Woodrow, the White House Mouse, and their books have been featured on numerous top-tier TV and radio shows including The Today Show, C-Span’s Book TV and National Public Radio, and in prominent print outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Child Magazine. Their other works include House Mouse, Senate Mouse; Woodrow for President; and Liberty Lee's Tail of Independence. Their books have won numerous national and regional book reviews and awards. They also published the New York Times bestsellers Heartsongs and Journey through Heartsongs, by Mattie Stepanek. Cheryl is an illustrator with a background in architecture and is creative director of Regnery’s Little Patriot Press. Peter is a journalist who currently works for Fox Business Network; he has also reported for CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations. They have two grown children and live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-4--Using a blend of information and story and an often-forced verse that doesn't scan well, the authors attempt to explain the history and workings of the Supreme Court. They load readers up with a quick overview of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, presenting a lot of relevant terminology in quotes ("bench," "case," "oral arguments," "clerks") without providing clear definitions. Then they describe a scenario in which the mouse Supreme Court rules on the question of whether the Mouse Congress can decree that a different kind of cheese must be eaten on each day of the week. While the process of trial, discussion, research, and decision handed down is in the correct order, the information overload is intense. Cloying, cute mice in suits and dresses, rendered in black line, watercolor, and colored pencil, are seen against the vast and detailed architecture of the Court. The visuals and subject matter overpower the attempted humor and lightness of the text.--Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA

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