One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale [Hardcover]

Judy Cox (Author), Jeffrey Ebbeler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Perfect for Thanksgiving, this warm and humourous picture book gently reminds us to give thanks for the little things. The Thanksgiving feast is over. Leftover turkey and pumpkin pie litter the table. Mouse peeps out of his hidey-hole and spots a small green pea. the perfect feast for one mouse. Yes, one green pea, one red cranberry, one plate of mashed potatoes, and one roasted turkey, that should make a very fine feast for Mouse. But can he get it all back to his hidey-hole?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—The remains of a Thanksgiving dinner are irresistible to a little mouse, who creeps out of his hole to help himself to one small pea. But soon, greed gets the better of him and before he knows it, he has taken one of every leftover tidbit, including the gravy boat and platter of turkey. Before he makes it safely back home, however, the cat spies him and pounces, knocking everything on the floor. The mouse escapes just in time, while the cat gets the blame, and to his delight he finds one "teensy-tiny, round and toothsome, green and luscious pea" for which he exclaims: "Give thanks! One is a feast for me!" Whimsical, large-scale illustrations drawn in acrylics, pastels, and colored pencils are a perfect complement to the story. Plenty of action and humor as well as a thoroughly satisfying ending make this a wonderful holiday read-aloud.—Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
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From Booklist

After a human family finishes their Thanksgiving dinner, Mouse is overjoyed to discover the leftovers, starting with a “teensy-tiny” pea: “One will be a feast for me.” Mouse gathers more scavenged treats, from cranberries to a whole pie slice, until he builds a huge stack. When Cat, who is also hungry, startles Mouse, the precariously piled food goes flying, and Mouse scurries back to safety, without his festive treats. Happily, though, the original pea is still reachable, and with renewed appreciation, Mouse enjoys a modest holiday meal. Cox’s prose is descriptive and lively, though very young children may need help with some vocabulary (“toothsome”) and phrases: “Mouse’s eyes were bigger than his stomach.” The colorful, animated, mixed-media illustrations show the world from a rodent's perspective, with familiar foods and household items shown in towering proportions. Particularly dramatic is a vertical spread that depicts small Mouse beneath his tall, turkey-topped food pile as Cat’s face looms at the table edge. This entertaining story may be a good starting point for discussions about appreciation and excess. Preschool-Grade 2. --Shelle Rosenfeld

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823419770
• ISBN-13: 978-0823419777
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in San Francisco. I'm the oldest of five children and enjoyed telling stories from an early age. I am a reading teacher at a small rural school. I am inspired to write children's books by my own love of good literature, by raising my son, and by teaching my students.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Such a cute idea for a Thanksgiving book!, November 23, 2008

By 

Mandy W "mandy" (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale (Hardcover)

I ordered this book based on the reviews. The pictures are very cute, and my two boys (ages 3 and 6) giggle about the silly things the mouse does to carry the food back to his hole. I think the book is a great length too-not too long or too short. The only sad part is that it is not really about being thankful (not like I had hoped), so if that is what you are looking for, this might not be the one for you, but still a wonderful book that my boys enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast For Your Eyes, September 3, 2008

By 

Charity Nebbe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale (Hardcover)

This story is a lovely celebration of Thanksgiving leftovers. The landscape of the table will be familiar to anyone who has ever attended a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The story is cute and repetition makes it a fun read for the reader and the listener.

As much as I enjoy the story it is the pictures that make this a must have. Illustrator Jeffrey Ebbeler has created an adorable little hero in Mouse. My three year old daughter pores over the pictures pointing out all the little details. Ebbeler also plays with perspective as he has in his past work including Our Walk in the Woods. In one great illustration you see a magnified Mouse through a water glass left on the table.

This would make a great addition to your library.

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids just loved it!, December 15, 2010

By 

Story Teller - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale (Paperback)

This book was wonderful. I work at a public library and I read the story time books for the kids. I had a really good time with this book. I printed out pictures of the different things the mouse put on his stack to carry back to his hole and handed them out to the kids. As I read the book and the mouse added to his stack the kids would come up and put the item on the felt board. They really loved the book and they loved helping me with the pieces. I can't wait until next year to read it again.