August 28 – Race Your Mouse Day

Happy Race Your Mouse Day!

This is a day dedicated to racing your mouse across the desktop while you’re waiting for something important to pop up.  So if your computer is running slow today, go crazy with your cursor!

Then, when a have a few minutes to spare outside the office, read a picture book or two about some funny and clever little mice.

Library Mouse, A World to Explore written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk (2010)

This is the third book in a series about Sam, the Library Mouse. Sam lived in the library behind the children’s reference books. And every night, Sam goes out looking for adventures in the books. One night Sam meets Sarah, another mouse who lives on the other side of the library. Sarah tells Sam all about the giant playground. Sam explains that her playground is actually the display of art projects the children have made. He teaches Sarah all about the pyramids, the Statue of Liberty, and the Eiffel Tower. That night he wrote about Sarah in his journal. The next night, Sarah teaches Sam about adventuring. She shows him how to drive a jeep, climb a mountain, and fly a plane. That night, Same wrote about Sarah and exploring… he wrote a book.

Mouse Count written and illustrated by Ellen Stoll Walsh (1991)

One in a series of Mouse books for preschoolers, this one tells the story of a greedy snake who captures one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten mice in his jar. The mice trick him into going after a larger mouse. While he’s gone, the ten mice rock the jar back and forth until it tips over and ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one mice escape.

Town Mouse, Country Mouse written and illustrated by Jan Brett (1994)

Jan Brett’s artwork and sense of story, share the classic tale to yet another generation of readers. Her details to text and illustration, keep readers young and old enthralled in the story of four mice who are unhappy with their lot in life and decide to trade places. Each pair of mice is convinced that life would be better in the other’s home. So the town mice move into the country and the country mice move to town. Unhappily, they each discover the disadvantages of their new homes and decide it would be best to go back to their own homes.

Frederick written and illustrated by Leo Lionni (1967)

1968 Caldecott Honor Award Winner, this is a sweet and simple story about a family of mice who are preparing for the long, cold winter months ahead. Only Frederick doesn’t seem to be working. When asked, he says that he is collecting warm rays from the sun, beautiful colors of the gardens, and words for when they run out of things to say. When winter came, the mice hid in their stone wall with their supply of nuts and seeds, and their stories of foolish foxes and silly cats. Little by little everything was gone, and the mice remembered Frederick’s supplies. Standing on a big stone, Frederick had them close their eyes and feel the rays of the golden sun and the mice began to feel warmer. He told them of the blue periwinkles and red poppies, and the mice saw the colors clearly in their minds. And then in a clear voice, Frederick recited a poem about the seasons which he had made up himself. When he had finished they all applauded.