Mia's Mouses

by Joseph L Licari, Victor Nieto (Illustrator)

Overview

Mia is a young girl who loves to dance and learn. One day she makes friends with three cute little mice in her yard: Squeaky, who likes to play, tease, and sneeze; Nibbles, who likes to eat; and Speedy, the fastest mouse, who likes to run around. She and the mice spend all day together and enjoy being friends.

But Mia calls her friends mouses, even though her friends and family explain to her that the word mice is the right way to say it. She uses her curiosity and some help from her teacher to learn about the rules for making nouns plural. Mia enjoys learning new things and sharing her knowledge with others, and soon she’ll know all she needs to know about plural nouns.

Including engaging humor and infectious rhymes, this children’s story teaches young readers about regular and irregular plural nouns, building their vocabulary and literacy skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665758369
Publisher:	Archway Publishing
Publication date:	07/16/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.09(d)

About the Author

Joseph L. Licari retired from a successful business career to focus on his passion for writing and music. The father of three daughters, he currently works as a freelance writer and guitar instructor. His debut book is "Mia's Mouses", a heartwarming children's story about a young girl who learns about plural nouns. Joseph is a graduate of Hofstra University and Stony Brook University and holds an MBA. He lives on Long Island, New York, and is a member of the Smithtown Library Writing Group, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joseph L. Licari retired from a successful business career to focus on his passion for writing and music. The father of three daughters, he currently works as a freelance writer and guitar instructor. His debut book is "Mia's Mouses", a heartwarming children's story about a young girl who learns about plural nouns. Joseph is a graduate of Hofstra University and Stony Brook University and holds an MBA. He lives on Long Island, New York, and is a member of the Smithtown Library Writing Group, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Editorial Reviews

2024-09-04
A little girl learns about irregular plural nouns with the help of a friendly teacher and some mouse companions in Licari’s illustrated children’s book.

Mia is a young girl with light-colored skin and brown hair who, while playing in her backyard, befriends three little mice she names Squeaky, Nibbles, and Speedy. She runs into a problem when she tries to collectively label them: “But something seemed funny, / even strange and surreal. / When she called her friends mouses, / was that right? What’s the deal?” After her friends and family tell her that the correct plural ismice, Mia runs to her teacher, Miss Jess, and asks her to explain the grammar rules. Miss Jess gives examples of regular plural nouns, then irregular ones (likepersontopeople), moving on to plurals that don’t change at all (likedeer). With her newfound knowledge, Mia gains the confidence to speak correctly and help others with irregular plural nouns. The book maintains a consistent ABCB rhyme scheme throughout, with only occasional variances (such as an ABCDB rhyme scheme used when explaining that some plural nouns remain unchanged). For those who want to delve further into the subject, there is a companion volume,Mia’s Mouses Workbook & Coloring Book, to reinforce the lessons. While Nieto’s illustrations themselves are quite flat, with boldly colored two-dimensional characters and backgrounds, there are instances when the artist cleverly weaves the text into the pictures themselves. For example, the rule for plural nouns (“For most words it’s simple / add an ‘es’ or ‘s’/ but not all are like this, some more and some less”) is written on the actual chalkboard in Miss Jess’ classroom. This adds a fun interactive element to the story. The rhymes themselves are catchy but extremely simple, making them age-appropriate for kids at the Pre-K to kindergarten level. With only four to eight lines per page, young audiences will likely breeze right through the material and learn an important grammar rule along the way.

A quick, whimsical way to introduce irregular plural nouns to a young audience.(Juvenile fiction, ages 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews