Cox, Judy. One is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale. Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Holiday House, 2008. ISBN 9780823419777. $16.95. 36 p.
Reviewer: Sandra L. Tidwell
Reading Level: Toddler, Preschool, Primary
Rating: Excellent
Genre: Picture books; Holiday stories;
Subject: Thanksgiving Day--Juvenile fiction; Mice--Juvenile fiction; Greed--Juvenile fiction; Books--Reviews;
One Is a Feast for a Mouse is a picture book just right for Thanksgiving after-the-feast story time. Mouse, who is celebrating all alone, has an empty plate until he ventures out of his hidey-hole. The family has finished their dinner, and everyone, including the cat, is peacefully napping. Mouse first sees a plump green pea and exclaims, "One is a feast for me." However, Mouse sees that the leftovers abound! He isn't content with just one pea. He must have a juicy red cranberry, an olive, a carrot stick, a scoop of mashed potatoes, gravy and the last piece of pumpkin pie! But when the cat wakes up, Mouse must scurry back to his hole while trying to keep all the food he has pilfered.
Children will enjoy the repetition in Cox's cumulative story and Ebbeler's true-to-life fanciful colored illustrations of Mouse's food balancing act. It also might give readers a cute idea for Thanksgiving place-cards: tracings of a child's hand colorfully decorated into turkeys. A good reminder for children (and adults) to "Give thanks!" and appreciate the little things when the Thanksgiving table is piled high with goodies.
Volume 29, no. 1 (September/October 2008)
