The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR

Wood, Audrey and Don. The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear. Illustrated by Wood, Don. Singapore. Child’s Play Int, 1984.

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The BIG HUNGRY BEAR is a wonderful children’s book that excites the reader and gets them involved in the story. The story begins with a little mouse who is about to pick a very red ripe strawberry. The reader then goes into conversation with the little mouse warning him against the danger of picking the strawberry because there is a big hungry bear who likes red ripe strawberries that have been picked. The story continues through showing how the mouse proceeds to protect the strawberry and keep it safe from the awaiting bear’s claws. Alas, the reader comes up with a solution that all his problems can be solved if the mouse shares the strawberry with him.

This story is a great way to make kids laugh and become an all time favorite. Reader’s have the option to change the pitch in their voice and make scary noises to add fun to the story. Most likely to be categorized under fantasy, the little mouse in the story is a clever little hero who is as cute as a button and easily brings joy to children. Written in 1984 by Don and Audrey Woods and illustrated by Don, the simple text is greatly complimented by the detailed illustration and puts most of the story into the artwork and less in the words. The light shading on the background and the hard defined lines of the mouse and the strawberry help readers pay close attention to the plot of the story. This book is a great example of anticipation and is one of the many stories that children can carry with them for years to come.