The+Little+Mouse,+The+Red+Ripe+Strawberry,+and+The+Big+Hungry+Bear

Jessica Magalhaes Author: Don and Audrey Wood __Bibliographic Data:__ Reading Level: 5 & up (K-2) Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: Childs Play Intl Ltd (June 1, 1984) ISBN-10: 0859530124 ISBN-13: 9780859530125
 * The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR**

__Summary:__

In this cute children’s book, the main character is a small mouse that finds a red, ripe strawberry that he wants to eat. Throughout the book, the narrator teases the mouse that the big hungry bear loves to eat strawberries. The narrator tells the mouse that the bear will find the strawberry no matter what he does or where he hides it. In a frantic, the mouse tries to hide it by putting dirt around it to make it look like a hill. He also tries to guard it by putting a chain and lock on it. He even tries to put a disguise on the strawberry (glasses and a mustache), to try to make the bear think that it is not a strawberry. At the end, the tricky narrator tells the mouse that the only way to save the strawberry is to cut it in half and give half to him. In the end, the narrator says "Now, that's one red, ripe strawberry the big, hungry Bear will never get!"

__Book Review:__

Don and Audrey Wood did an excellent job when writing this book. It is a quick and easy read-aloud where teachers can easily modulate their voice and get the children involved. The book will keep students engaged by having them continuously wonder what is going to happen to the mouse. I love how the narrator tricks the mouse at the end, and the big, hungry bear never actually comes. Teachers can use this book to teach their students about predicting. The students can predict what will happen to the mouse, however it will be hard for them to get the right answer because of the twist at the end. This book features comedy, making it something that almost every student will enjoy.

__Analysis of Literary Element:__

The book includes amazing, vivid imagery that helps the children see the reactions of the mouse. Without the pictures, the children would not know a lot about the story because the narrator does not explain much. The pictures allow the children to see how nervous the mouse is because the big, hungry bear is coming. On one page of the book, you can see the sweat dripping from the little mouse's head, showing that he really is worried. The children can see how hard the mouse is trying to keep the strawberry to himself. Without the illustrations, nobody would know that the mouse put a nose, glasses, and mustache on the strawberry. In the end, the children can see how happy and content the mouse is now that he ate the strawberry and big, hungry bear didn’t come after him. The last page is a picture of the mouse, relaxing on the hammock with a full belly. However, even though the illustrations are excellent in this book, it may be difficult to show that adding detail in a story is essential when reading this book. The author includes red, ripe and big, hungry, however the author does not go into detail about the mouse or what the mouse is doing. The illustrations do so.

__Author Biography:__

Audrey Wood was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1948. As early as fourth grade, her ambition was to be an author/illustrator. As a young child, she could remember using her parents’ painting books, making up stories to those paintings, and then telling them to her younger sisters. In many of her books, Audrey uses step-and-repeat stories, like in this book, she keeps repeating red, ripe strawberry and big, hungry bear. Audrey’s husband, Don, illustrates many of her books. Seven years after their marriage, they began collaborating on children’s literature. Their oldest son, Bruce, is also an author, making art a fifth-generation tradition in Audrey’s family.

__Related Links:__

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/skill-builder/lesson-plan/48712.html

Example of illustrations in book