Seven Little Mice Go To School

by Haruo Yamashita, Kazuo Iwamura (Illustrator)

Overview

"This clever take on the afraid-to-go-to-school theme should have broad appeal." –School Library Journal

An adorable back to school story from Kazuo Iwamura!

It's time for seven little mice to start school! And it's up to Mother Mouse to get them there. When the little mice prove reluctant, Mother Mouse invents "the mouse train" — all aboard!

"Assuaging the anxieties of one first-time student is tough enough, let alone seven. This story about finding creative solutions unfolds with understated elegance..." -Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735840126
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Kazuo Iwamura was born in Tokyo. He is one of the most famous picture book artists in Japan. His work has won many awards. He lives in Tochigi, where he founded the Museum for Picture Book Illustrations. It stands on a hill named Ehon-no-Oka, which means Picture Book Hill.

Haruo Yamashita graduated from Kyoto University with a major in French literature. Born in Tokyo, he spent much of his childhood by the ocean. He now lives in Atami, a beautiful seaside city, where he loves to sail his boat in the harbor. He is known in Japan as the “author who lives by and loves the ocean.”

Editorial Reviews

"Assuaging the anxieties of one first-time student is tough enough, let alone seven. This story about finding creative solutions unfolds with understated elegance..."

Publishers Weekly

"This clever take on the afraid-to-go-to-school theme should have broad appeal."

School Library Journal

"Assuaging the anxieties of one first-time student is tough enough, let alone seven. This story about finding creative solutions unfolds with understated elegance..."— "Publishers Weekly"

"This clever take on the afraid-to-go-to-school theme should have broad appeal."— "School Library Journal"

From the Publisher

This delicate Japanese import is less about assuaging school fears than about a tricky mother who gets her children to go to school against their many and varied protests.

It is the day before school starts, and the septuplets ("like twins only there are seven") are all ready for school with new hats, bags and shoes. But Mother must face the fact that her children do not want to go to school. They'll be too tired, the wind will be too cold, they'll meet a snake and they won't know anyone; these are among their many excuses. Cleverly, Mother plans for the morning by unwinding two balls of yarn, making parallel lines that stretch from home all the way to school. She is unruffled when the children ignore her announcement that it is time for school—she just calmly steps out, stands between the strings and announces that the school train is departing. This piques the kids' interest, and they are out of the house in no time, following along. But will some of their fears come true? This episode is a rather disappointing departure from the septuplets' previous adventure, in which they were the ones to solve the problem (Mice at the Beach, 1987). Iwamura's precise, softly colored illustrations, while adorable, add little narrative heft to the slight story.

Some students may jump on the train to act this out on the first day of school, but it lacks the humor that would give it lasting appeal. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews