If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Year Published: 2000
Author: Laura Numeroff

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: Pre-K to Grade 2

Themes: Wintry Christmas, friendship, sharing

Skills Taught: Making predictions, sequencing events, cause and effect relationships 

Summary: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies is about a boy who takes his pet mouse to the movies, which leads them to doing many more things.  Other activities include buying the mouse popcorn, decorating the Christmas tree, making a snowman, having a snowball fight, and listening to Christmas carols.

About the Author: Laura Numeroff was born in Brooklyn during 1953.  Growing up, one of her most prized possessions was her library card.  She loved to read, and books including Stuart Little, Eloise, and The Cat In The Hat are some of her favorite books.  When college came, she decided to follow her sister who went to become a fashion designer at Pratt Institute.  While in the program, she realized the fashion designing world was not for her, and during her last semester, Laura took a class in writing where one of the assignments was to make a children's book.  Her book was about the tallest girl in third grade.  After four attempts, the book was published and has continued her love of writing since then.  (http://www.lauranumeroff.com/bio/about_me.htm)

For the Classroom

Pre-Reading Activity: Have a class discussion asking the students, "What activities and events do you participate in during the holiday season?"

Post-Reading Activity: When the read aloud is complete, the teacher will have the students make a prediction by asking, "What will the mouse ask for next, and why?"  After several students have given their educated guess and supported their reasoning, the teacher will place students in groups of three to four.  Each group will be given a baggy with pictures of activities the mouse did.  The teacher will then ask the students to work together and put the pictures on poster board in the correct sequence as were in the book. After the teacher has checked to see if the students have put the pictures in the correct order, students can then begin gluing them to the poster board.

Reflection: This picture book is perfect for a read aloud during the Christmas season and includes an energetic mouse children will love, and a patient boy who will do anything to please his pet/buddy.  The pictures look great and the colors bring the characters and events to life.  This funny story is a nice way to introduce a class about the sequence of events.  Other stories in the series include If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and If You Give a Moose a Muffin.      

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