Title: One Moose, Twenty Mice
Author: Clare Beaton
Genre: Toddler board book (Counting book)
Age Category: Infant to 2 years
Summary: A Children’s Counting Book
Clare Beaton’s One Moose, Twenty Mice is a counting book to help with learning numbers for preschool. It begins with the following statement/question: “One moose, but where’s the cat?” Each subsequent page continues the pattern established on the first page. For example, the second and third pages say, “Two crabs, but where’s the cat?” and “Three ladybugs, but where’s the cat?” The pages continue counting up in the same way until the last page, which says, “Twenty mice, and here’s the cat!”
The illustrations are scenes of colorful stitched fabrics (mostly felt), ribbons, buttons, sequins, and beads that depict the numbers and animals mentioned in the text. Importantly, in each scene (except the last) the cat is hiding somewhere. In the last scene the cat is finally in full view, chasing twenty white mice!
Subjective Appeal: Engaging, Funny, Excellent Illustrations
Several factors give this counting book subjective appeal for toddlers and young children. First, the narrative structure is very inviting. The repetitive refrain, “…but where is the cat?” on each page plays several roles. Since there is a (semi-) hidden cat on each page, it prompts the child to hunt for the cat. And who doesn’t like hunting for objects in illustrations? (Wheres Waldo anyone?) Hunting for and finding the cat also gives the child a sense of accomplishment and naturally causes her to linger over each page. The repetition also gives young children a sense of what is coming, and thus of security
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