Mouse of My Heart: Picture Book [Hardcover]

Margaret Wise Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2001 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

From the archives of Margaret Wise Brown comes a stunning collection of more than 50 poems and stories, many previously unpublished and all expertly crafted by the author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. This rich anthology is illustrated with vibrant paintings by Loretta Krupinski. Her jewel-toned palette, charming characters, and plentiful details perfectly complement the text. Included are a table of contents, an index, and an introduction by noted biographer Leonard S. Marcus.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mouse of My Heart: A Treasury of Sense and Nonsense gathers 56 poems and stories by Margaret Wise Brown, many previously unpublished. With an introduction by Leonard Marcus and jewel-like illustrations by Loretta Krupinski, this is one handsome volume. Whether celebrating contented solitude ("A Cottontail Rabbit in a Cotton Field") or the power of rebellion ("Sssssssssssssspit/ I'm Wild Cat Wild/ The Tiger's child"), Brown touches the universal feelings of childhood.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-This fine collection brings together 56 of Brown's lesser-known or previously unpublished stories and poems. In his introduction, Leonard S. Marcus eloquently describes why Brown was one of the most sensitive writers for preschool children, but the actual poems and stories prove that she was ahead of her time. Organized loosely under 11 subject headings, the selections cover such diverse topics as "Adventure," "Nature," "Nonsense," and "Big and Little," all with an unerringly child-centered perspective. The pieces play with language, rhythm, and patterns ("Spoon up the moon" sings a bird in "Two Little Raccoons"). Brown's exquisite attention to detail (like the "bugs that laugh themselves awake" in "Song of Little Things") is echoed in Krupinski's excellent paintings that grace every page. Most entrancing, however, is the emotional truth demonstrated in such stories as "You Be Little and I'll Be Big," where all creatures, no matter what their size, can feel big or little, and sometimes need to have others take care of them. The bright, expressive illustrations focus mainly on animals and details of the natural world, and reflect the characters' emotions. Gentle humor is evident throughout, particularly in the opening illustration of "Belonging," which shows a mouse holding two sticks to his head like antennae, in an attempt to look like his two ladybug friends. Illustrations and text are an ideal match here. This is a beautiful book in every sense of the word, with much to treasure for children, adults, and scholars.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786806281
• ISBN-13: 978-0786806287
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. Even though she died over 45 years ago, her books still sell very well. Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading. She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them. She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper. Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional & charming illustrations to classic child author, February 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mouse of My Heart: Picture Book (Hardcover)

This is a truly wonderful children's book, filled with page after page of lush, tender and charming illustrations done by foremost children's book illustrator Loretta Krupinski. Poems and stories by the classic authoress, M.W. Brown, are the inspiration - always written with flair, grace and perfect understanding of how little boys and girls tend to view the world. An exquisite selection of Brown's work, grouped under headings such as Adventure, Big & Little, Bedtime, Belonging, Nonsense, and Nature, this treasurey will delight young & old alike for years to come. ...truly beautiful and outstanding in every way with illustrations as imaginative and colorful as the text.

5.0 out of 5 stars a treasure!, October 8, 2008

By 

Anne (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mouse of My Heart (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book packed with little short stories perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners! My girls love the pictures. I use it during our homeschooling time to help them with reading comprehension by talking with them about each short poem and story. I think this is my favorite book by Margaret Wise Brown.