One Winter Night

by Jennifer Lloyd, Lynn Ray (Illustrator)

It’s bone-chillingly cold, but why should that stop ten little mice who decide to leave their cozy nest and take a moonlight stroll across the ice? Of course, they hadn’t counted on some big, scary creatures — an owl, a bat, a rat, a skunk — who are also out for the evening. One by one, the mice run back to the house until the last one finds itself far down the ice. What will happen next? Will all ten make it back home? This enchanting wintertime counting book uses a repeated refrain — “Hurry, hurry! Scurry, scurry!” — and vibrant illustrations to create an ideal holiday read-aloud.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful rhyming story of ten little mice on ice one wintry night - and the reader gets to follow them from 10 - 1.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Winter Night by Jennifer Lloyd and illustrated by Lynn Ray seemed like a highly appropriate book to read during our long Canadian winter.

The story centers on ten little mice who go skating “under moonlight”, and one by one scurry off into their warm nest as they meet larger animals. As the group of mice decreased in number, Steven delighted in the backwards counting from 10 to 1. At the end of the book, we revisit all of the mice sleeping safely in the nest and can count again from 1 to 10.

Steven also enjoyed seeing the various “predatory” animals such as a squirrel and a skunk skate along with the mice. It was also pleasing to me to see the mole and the fox joining in typically Canadian winter games of ice hockey and curling.

While it doesn’t paint a realistic picture as to the laws of nature, this is a fast, rhyming read and suitable for cozying up together in the warm indoors. Three and one-half stars plus an extra half for Canadian content for a total of four stars.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This rhyming, counting book follows ten mice as they play on the ice. Each time a new predator appears one mouse scurries back to his house.
The author has made an odd choice of verse layout ending the page with the next number, which is written in text rather than a bold number which would help children count.
The cute rhyme begins to fall apart when the reader hits the last mouse and the cat. It doubles in length and breaks the pattern it has followed for the entire book. The layout on the page at this point becomes confusing. It is easy for a reader to confuse which order they should read the verses in.
The illustrations are strongly Canadian in flavor, with the mice wearing scarves reminiscence to the Canadian Winter Olympic paraphernalia seen regularly in stores. The hockey sticks say Canada and the sleeping bear is holding a Canadian flag.