Sometimes I Feel Like A Mouse [Paperback]

Jeanne Modessitt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A child imagines becoming a variety of animals while experiencing different feelings, a howling wolf for sad, a soaring eagle for proud, a stomping elephant for bold, and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest offering from the creators of Night Call and Vegetable Soup seems more like a pep talk on self-esteem ("There is no such thing as a right or wrong feeling") than a fully realized picture book. There is no linear narrative, and readers don't really know who "I" is. Each feeling (shy, bold, sad, happy) is correlated with that of an animal, as a nameless boy in overalls expresses himself. Spowart's typically shadowy, vague illustrations seem a bit dour here, though properly moody and unthreatening. At the back of the book all the feelings are shown rebus-style, allowing youngsters to see how far they have traveled emotionally. Though the book will strike some as rather artificial in both concept and execution, it may prove a useful part of early psychological explorations. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-- Everything about this book is soft and fuzzy--its approach, its focus, and its execution. In an attempt to introduce the wide range of human emotion in a nonjudgmental way, an everychild narrator of indistinct gender describes a dozen positive and negative feelings that children routinely experience and juxtaposes them with counterparts from the animal kingdom. "Sometimes I feel like a horse galloping BRAVE." Herein lies the problem. The similies offered make it sound as though a wolf cries because it's SAD, a hiding mouse is SHY, and soaring eagles are PROUD. The simple repetitive text, therefore, comes off as cliched rather than informed, and the warm, glowing acrylics, while attractive, are more dreamlike than representational. I'm O.K., you're O.K. this book's sentiments are O.K. However, Aliki's Feelings (Greenwillow, 1984) presents a more complete, crystal-clear, and commanding overview of the subject. --Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590448366
• ISBN-13: 978-0590448369
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accepting All Our Facets, August 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sometimes I Feel Like A Mouse (Paperback)

"Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse" puts into words and pictures the wide range of emotions we all feel. Our children, and we, can fall into a trap of labeling different emotions as either bad or good, which in turn can make children label themselves depending on the emotions felt. I liked how the book passed no judgement, just voiced for young readers the turbulent range of feelings that all people experience.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book and watch your child bloom!, December 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sometimes I Feel Like A Mouse (Paperback)

Never before have I gotten so much enjoyment for $5! My 2 1/2 year old daughter simply adores this book, memorizing it after the third or fourth read. Now she "reads" and acts out each page with great drama! I am delighted with the way the authors have related emotions to animals in a way children can truly understand. This book has helped my daughter blossom and understand her emotions so much that she now routinely adds new emotions and animals to our conversations. I would recommend this lovely book to anyone with a child over 2 years old.