Mousie, I Will Read to You by Rachael Cole, Melissa Crowton
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on November 13th 2018
ISBN: 1524715360
Pages: 34
Goodreads

“Mousie I Will Read To You” is a picture book darling.  The scope of the story shows us the strong bond  between mother and child as a mother mouse reads to her baby.  She begins by reading to the infant “Mousie”  and continues to read to him until he is able  to read by himself.  As Mousie grows and develops,  reading is fostered and encouraged in ways that are appropriate to his developmental level, making Mousie’s  experience of books a happy and joyous one.

The author, Rachel Cole, captures, by giving us examples of (“Before you know it, Mousie, Your DAA DAA DEE’s and BAA BAA BEE’s sound like jazz,”) the various reading stages a child might experience from infancy to adulthood –  but with a  minimum of words and explantion.   The author  brings the story to a close by nicely circling  back to Mousie reading to his own baby.

The soft colored illustrations  beautifully depict  Mousie and mother’s  joyful reading experiences.  A shared enjoyment of reading is a wonderful venue through wihich we can nurture and love our children.

The book was “inspired by the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics to read aloud to children from the day they are born.”

Can be used  to demonstrate to children that a love of  reading can indeed become a very importand part of their lives!

Reviewed by: Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME