Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Today’s featured book is special for many reasons. It feels like a retelling of an old fable. It’s got a message of kindness and inclusion that is so important. And it’s a book that kids will love holding and turning the pages – there are cutouts that the reader can peek through on many of the pages…what fun!

THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK

Written by Jonathan Stutzman

Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

Published by Candlewick (2022)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Kindness, inclusion, hospitality

Synopsis: From Amazon:
Celebrated artist Isabelle Arsenault joins forces with author Jonathan Stutzman for an enchanting tale about the expansive power of generosity.

Vincent was a mouse with boots on his feet, a hat on his head, and a house on his back.

When an ordinary spot on a grassy hill calls out to him, Vincent puts down the house he carries on his back and knows he’s where he needs to be. As hungry and tired travelers pass by, Vincent welcomes them into his home, making room for everyone. And even when it seems that the house is as full as it possibly can be, there is no woodland animal so big or so scary—not a ravenous cat, nor a fox, nor a whole herd of deer—that Vincent would turn it away from his warm, magical home on the hill. Jonathan Stutzman’s charming voice is enhanced by the elegant, inventive die-cut art of three-time Governor General’s Award winner Isabelle Arsenault in this classic tale of a generous little mouse with a special house and an ever-expanding heart.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love books with messages of kindness and inclusion – and this one uses animals so cleverly – the well-written text takes the child-reader on a beautiful journey.
2. I love books with awesome art…the watercolor illustrations are AMAZING!
3. I love books with special effects – this one has a cut-out of a house that grows bigger as we turn the pages.

To find out more about the author: https://www.jonathanstutzman.com/
To find out more about the illustrator: https://www.isabellearsenault.com/
To buy copies of THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK: Check out your local indie or Amazon.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Kids love arts and crafts…you can create houses using empty boxes – little houses from boxes from tea…big houses from packing boxes. I remember when we’d buy a new appliance and my children couldn’t wait till we unpacked it and gave them the box…it became a hotel, an airport terminal, a hospital…and sometimes a racecar or rocket to the moon…the ideas were endless.
But you can also create houses from construction paper: https://twokidsandacoupon.com/2020/04/cute-paper-house-craft-project-for-kids.html

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. If you get a copy of today’s featured book, I hope you will leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Don’t forget to ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection. And please remember to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway – you might be the lucky winner of a copy of THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK, thanks to the author, Jonathan Stutzman.