Thelonious the mouse has got so much rhythm in him he can’t help letting it out. To his family’s horror, he won’t stop scatting and shimmying around the house, teasing deadly Fat Cat instead of collecting crumbs like the rest of them. But just as Thelonious's games become too dangerous, he find a most unexpected musical partner in this jaunty picture book with art and text that truly sing!
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"The hip rhythms and tongue-twisting humor in this jazzy, poetic, fun-to-read-aloud book make it a keeper your child will want to read over and over again."—Cricket Magazine online
“Getting the beat and the tongue-twisting phrases just right takes some practice, but the outcome is well worth the effort.” —SLJ
"Children will cheer for this rascally oddball rebel." —Booklist
"Replete with scat-y, cat-and-mouse–y wordplay, this is giggle-worthy fun." —Kirkus Reviews
TWO STICKS by the same author and illustrator
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
"The text sets a catchy rhythm and never lets go. Wilsdorf’s illustrations, rich in saturated color, glow with warmth and vibrancy." —Kirkus Reviews
"Wilsdorf captures the verve and action of the tale in vibrant colors and broad strokes." —School Library Journal
"Pure entertainment." —The Orlando Sentinel
SUNNY BOY! by the same illustrator
"This rollicking romp represents a wonderful marriage of text and illustration. Wacky and sure to elicit a giggle, this one is a winner." —School Library Journal
"Kids . . . will whoop over the silliness and derring-do." —Booklist
About the Author
OREL PROTOPOPESCU is a poet and the author of several books. She lives in Miller Place, New York.
ANNE WILSDORF has illustrated many picture books, including Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise by Candace Fleming. She lives in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By Amber Polo
Format:Hardcover
Delightful tongue twisting picture book is sure to enhance both children and their pretend grown-up readers. You'll be tapping your feet and singing sweet, but who could fall asleep after this story. Wilsdorf's drawings are so much fun you, can see the movement.
Format:Hardcover
I won a signed copy of Thelonious Mouse in a drawing held by the author. I was drawn to the cover and the title because they implied sass and humor. I was not disappointed. The pictures are lively and the text is jazzy. Thelonious is a little bit too sure of himself and cocky, but he's a precocious character who knows no fear. The story of a musical mouse who just can't help himself winning over the cat through music is a good one. I would have preferred a little less telling and a little more showing, but in the main, I enjoyed it very much. I also believe it will be a hit with children because of its energy. Parents will have to wet their whistles before they read this one aloud. It's a mouthful when Thelonious is at his scatting best.
By flygal
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This lively cat-and-mouse romp by award-winning poet Orel Protopopescu is fun to read aloud to kids, and even all alonious, as Thelonious Mouse would say. The jazzy lines pack in energy and punch as Thelonious keeps the beat while simultaneously baiting Fat Cat and trying to avoid becoming a kitty treat. Even as he runs from the cat his tail makes a sound like "swish-cheese." As he dances along piano keys, he muses, "What is this ringing, singing thing that swings me crooning to the tuneful moon?" In a satisfying finale, the irrepressible Thelonious helps Fat Cat find her own rhythm and morph into Glad Cat -- the other half of a hoppin' cat-and-mouse duet.
The illustrations are also packed with energy and are perfect with the words. Illustrator Anne Wilsdorf tackles the scenes from all angles to give a sense of the pictures dancing and even uses what appear to be bits of paper with French words on them to add texture. You can't really "read" the illustrations aloud, but you'll want to.
Highly recommended!
The illustrations are also packed with energy and are perfect with the words. Illustrator Anne Wilsdorf tackles the scenes from all angles to give a sense of the pictures dancing and even uses what appear to be bits of paper with French words on them to add texture. You can't really "read" the illustrations aloud, but you'll want to.
Highly recommended!
By reader
Format:Hardcover
I enjoy reading all the books by Orel Protopopescu, but this one is my favorite. I love the characters: the obnoxious cat with his "tuna breath" and Thelonious, a cool little mouse, a jazz musician with a compulsive dedication to making music. Other mice just can't keep up with Thelonious. They tried but "they couldn't keep the beat. Their tongues tied, their song died, and they fell all over their feet." This picture book, which mixes rhythmic prose with scatting rhymes, is a delight to read, because it blends the rhythms of classical English language nursery rhymes with the groove and beat of jazz. Most important, perhaps, the book teaches an important lesson: it takes courage to make beautiful art.
Format:Hardcover
Thelonius Mouse is one of those multifaceted books parents actually enjoy reading to their children over and over: It doesn't get old! Kids will love it for the sheer adventure and laugh-out-loud fun, while parents will appreciate its musical side. You don't have to be a fan of Thelonious Monk to revel in this free-spirited story of passion and spunk, but the melodious words will make you want to get up and groove! This is so much more than your average picture book. You and your child will treasure Thelonious Mouse!!!
Format:Hardcover
Thelonious Mouse loves to torment the cat of the house with his scat rhymes and rhythms. He comes within an inch of his life several times, but when he discovers a toy piano, then their relationship takes a turn for the better. They discover that they love to make music together.
This book is fun to read out loud because of the great scat lines that are interspersed with the text, which also has lots of rhythm and poetry imbedded in it. Some of the lines that Thelonious comes up with are very funny, especially when he's insulting the cat.
The illustrations are very appealing and contain little surprises--clever touches of collage to accent the cat's ears and nose and Thelonious' long tail.
This book is fun to read out loud because of the great scat lines that are interspersed with the text, which also has lots of rhythm and poetry imbedded in it. Some of the lines that Thelonious comes up with are very funny, especially when he's insulting the cat.
The illustrations are very appealing and contain little surprises--clever touches of collage to accent the cat's ears and nose and Thelonious' long tail.
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