Dr. Toughlove decided to put a spotlight on an “oldie but goodie” that has been enjoyed by kids and adults alike since 1985. Enjoy!
Pop quiz – do you know what a chain reaction is? A chain reaction can be defined as a series of events where one event sparks the next. A chain reaction is the perfect way to describe the award-winning children’s picture book If You Give a Mouse A Cookie, written by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Dr. Toughlove remembers reading it to her children and more recently, her grandchildren. A true classic.
This oldie but goodie was published in 1985 and was the first of the If You Give A…..book series that brought Laura Joffe Numeroff a great deal of attention and acclaim. This New York Times best-selling author has written at least sixteen books in this series, and numerous other books as well.
Why has this book’s popularity lasted for over 40 years? Dr. Toughlove thinks it is because of the charming way that the mouse asks for things (“If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk………”). The requests build upon each other and end up, you guessed it, back to the mouse asking for a cookie. In between, there are an array of chain reactions, each one more challenging and delightful than the last. The unnamed protagonist is up for the tasks before him, but as Felicia Bond’s illustrations convey, he is getting a bit weary by the end of the book.
There are so many reasons why this book is ideal for young children, not the least of which is the charm embedded in each one of the cause-and-effect episodes. The children will enjoy trying to guess what the mouse will ask for next, and the reader can have a field day building suspense and asking open-ended questions based on the illustrations. A read aloud marvel for kids and adults alike.
If You Give a Mouse A Cookie, written by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. is suggested for readers aged 4-8 and can be found at your local library.