Frederick

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni
 * Frederick **

Summary, Review, Literary Analysis and Author Bio by Kimberly Stryker

Product dimensions: 6.97 (w) x 8.87 (h) x 0.14 (d)
 * Bibliographic Data: **
 * ISBN-13: 9780394826141
 * Publisher: Random House Children's Books
 * Publication date: 4/28/1973
 * Seri es: Pinwheel Book Series
 * Edition number: 1
 * Pages: 32
 * Sales rank: 53,260
 * Age range: 4 - 8 Years
 * Lexile: 500L

Frederick is a beautifully illustrated book about a family of field mice preparing for winter. While the other mice are busy working day and night preparing for the coming months, Frederick sits silently on the stonewall. The mice question him, wondering why he is not working like they are. Frederick replies that he //is// working. He gathers the sun rays, the colors and words. When the supplies had finally run out during winter, the mice turned to Frederick. Frederick hopped onto a big stone and began to speak of the sun, which instantly warmed the little mice. He spoke of the colors to distract from the grays of winter. Finally, he recited a poem about the seasons. All of the little mice were grateful for Frederick and deemed him a poet.
 * Summary: **

// Frederick // is a wonderful book with a simple plot, which makes it enjoyable for all ages. It has vivid illustrations that enhance the story and are pleasing to children. Lionni’s story is great for teaching students how to think outside of the box. Frederick the mouse is creative; his creativity saves the day in the end! Children will enjoy reading and listening to this story because of its anthropomorphic features and its beautiful illustrations.
 * Review: **

There is no doubt that //Frederick// has features of anthropomorphism throughout the story. Anthropomorphism takes human-like qualities and applies them to non-human objects. The animals in the book are anthropomorphic because they talk. Frederick in particular even recites a poem. Anthropomorphism is important in children’s literature because it teaches children to be creative. Many students become fixated on the notion that they must write about things that are real. Anthropomorphism also helps to humanize the characters by making them relatable. We feel sympathetic towards the mice in //Frederick// because we know how hard they worked to prepare for winter. We also feel proud as Frederick saves the day by bringing his supplies to the table and exciting the mice with his words.
 * Literary Analysis: **

Leo Lionni was born in 1910 to Dutch parents in Holland. He gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, sculptures and his children’s books. Lionni immigrated to America in 1939 where he eventually became the art director for //Fortune// Magazine. Lionni launched his career in writing children’s books in 1959. His first book, //Little Blue and Little Yellow,// was developed from a story he had originally written for his grandchildren. In his lifetime, Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 children’s books. He is a four time winning Caldecott Honor Winner and received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal. Lionni passed away in 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy at 89 years old.
 * Author Bio: **

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