Town Mouse, Country Mouse

In other books I'm reading, I'm currently working my way through Arthur Rackham's illustrated version of Aesop's fables, so the story of the town mouse and the country mouse who switch abodes is fresh in my mind. Aesop's version is obviously very concise, but I very much enjoyed Jan Brett's heavily illustrated and slightly expanded text. The contrast between the woodland setting (a staple in Brett's work, though generally covered in snow) and the town house (an easy win for luxurious backgrounds and Brett's signature detail) is extremely well done and may actually be one of Brett's strongest books to date. Brett is known for her Scandinavian and central-European snow-covered landscapes, but it was a lovely change to see her tackle the show more lush greenery of a summertime forest since she is no less a master of working in overabundant colour than in carefully warmed whites. The book is also a good reimagining of Aesop's classic fable - showing readers the benefits and disadvantages of each way of living, and providing a conclusion that is rife with humour. Only Brett would see the run-in between the predatory owl and cat as a moment of comedic reflection, and this careful turn of story is sure to bring a laugh to any reader. show less

This shows off Brett's talent and dedication to her illustrations very well. It's a bit wordy, but some readers might like that because the dilemma that the mice work through is brought to full clarity. I like that the mouse-wives are included. And I really like the end, in which the 'cat with wings' and the 'owl with teeth' consider trading territories, too.

The wordiness also means that the reader-listener is encouraged to spend more time on each page appreciating the details in the artwork.

I'm not a huge fan of Brett, and I find that a little goes a long way for me. Don't take a three-star rating as a negative.

Based upon the classic fable from Aesop, Jan Brett's Town Mouse, Country Mouse fleshes out the story, adding husbands for the mice, and dangerous predators, in the shape of a cat and owl. When the town mice switch homes with the country mice, both couples think that they will have a wonderful time, but discover instead that the "other" half also experiences its share of discomfort, and that, in the end, home is best. Will the owl and the cat feel the same...?

I found this picture-book adaptation charming, and enjoyed Brett's distinctive artwork, with its colorful palette and attention to detail. The side-panels, which feature the owl and cat, respectively, tell their own story. I was particularly struck by the ending, which seems to show more emphasize the fact that sometimes we need to learn lessons for ourselves. show less

“Town Mouse Country Mouse” is a book made to teach kids to appreciate their own lives. Two mouse couples, one from the city and the other from the country, are fed up with their lives and long to live much easier lives. They swap homes with each other thinking that they have the better end of the bargain, but they quickly discover that the other life isn’t as easy as it seemed. There are new struggles that they face on their journey in the other’s shoes. It doesn’t take long before they realize that “There’s no place like home”. Students will enjoy the beautifully detailed art as they observe the journey these mice undergo. This story is perfect to read to elementary students because it is fairly short, but holds some show more complex ideas--jealousy--and requires them to use comprehension strategies while they read, such as foreshadowing. Some activities for this lesson include: ask the children if they can predict what will happen if the owl and cat switch places, have the students write a short response regarding a time where they wanted to swap places with someone else, and realized it wasn’t as great as they thought it would be, or as you have the students observe the pages, inquire about the predator pictures on the side and why they are there. show less

In this mouse-y retelling of the classic “grass is always greener” fable, Brett’s simple and familiar narrative support her incredibly complex illustrations and compositions. Every page has its own untold story which is delightful to unpack and discover. Though the content of the images are playful and fantastical, Brett’s execution is impeccably refined and beautifully detailed. Overall, Bret has more compelling and entertaining narratives I would recommend before this one, but every now and then it’s nice to be reminded of the fact that there is no place like home.

This is a case of "grass is greener syndrome" which simply means you dislike what you have and thus believe that what someone else possesses must be better. I enjoyed the vibrant images in this picture and the realistic applications of understanding both how animals survive and the differences between rural and urban areas. Both are nice, but each will have their own problems and often times we take what we have for granted. This is especially relateable as someone who went from living in a rural area to a college town, neither is better they just each have their own strengths and pitfalls. I think this book is especially great for talking about different living situations and for conversations about nature and how the mice need show more different things to survive. show less

I loved this book for one reason, that reason being the rhythm of the word usage, and the illustrations. It a very realistic poetry book that has great simple language for young children. In one of the pages the book reads "My story begins with two homes and two mice. To tell the whole story, I must tell it twice." The whole book has simple language and rhyming words. The illustrations were well put together from the country scenery and the city scenery. For example, on one of the pages where Hot Rod was in the city saying how wished for the country life, it shows detailed view of him looking out to the city there were short and tall buildings, a lot of cars and people. All pages of the book were like this and brings the story to life show more so that the readers go in the right direction of figuring out what is happening. The main purpose of this book is that people should love where they come from because when you move, you miss your home more and more each day. I am actually experiencing that to this day. show less