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Little Mouse's Big Books #2
Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts
Little Mouse has found a new book, and this time it's full of scary creatures. Undaunted, he bravely sets about removing or altering all the scariest bits: cosy mittens to cover the lion's claws, ruby lips to replace the shark's teeth -- and he even pole vaults out of the way of the bear! Full of flaps, jokes and Emily Gravett's trademark wit, with a brilliantly satisfying ending, this is a worthy successor to Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2013
123 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gravett
79 books278 followersEmily Gravett is twice winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award for WOLVES and LITTLE MOUSE'S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. An author/illustrator of unique talent and tremendous skill, she has a host of critically acclaimed books to her name, including BLUE CHAMELEON, WOLF WON'T BITE! and AGAIN! Emily lives in Brighton with her partner and their daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 5, 2016
Very creative and cute. Mouse edits this book with string, paint, scraps of paper, which makes for an entertaining, if mildly confusing take on each beast presented. This clever, busy work is best for older children for that reason and because there are a lot of flaps that could be easily torn. 3.5 stars
March 29, 2017
I love Emily Gravett (Monkey And Me is one of my faaaaaavorite storytime books), and this was super cute. I love her use of collage, which provides so much texture and dimension.
November 12, 2018
Format is very similar to Little Mouse's big book of fears. In this case though, Little Mouse has modified a book about animals to be less scary.
The book is a bit clunky to read. If you read the animal fact portions from the supposed original book, you disrupt the flow of the other text, Little Mouse's version. I think the best way to read this is to read Little Mouse's part first all the way through the book and then go back through exploring the individual pages.
It took forever to read this to my daughter because we had to keep going back and forth to figure out where each page piece ended up. Yes, Little Mouse cuts out pieces from the animals to make them less scary and to make a scarier mouse at the end.
It's one of those books that kids like to go back over a couple times.
The book is a bit clunky to read. If you read the animal fact portions from the supposed original book, you disrupt the flow of the other text, Little Mouse's version. I think the best way to read this is to read Little Mouse's part first all the way through the book and then go back through exploring the individual pages.
It took forever to read this to my daughter because we had to keep going back and forth to figure out where each page piece ended up. Yes, Little Mouse cuts out pieces from the animals to make them less scary and to make a scarier mouse at the end.
It's one of those books that kids like to go back over a couple times.
July 15, 2014
This book is a mouse's graffiti and funny comments about scary beasts such as lions and snakes and crabs.
Interactive, with torn places as though the mouse has nibbled the pages. Charming and amusing.
Interactive, with torn places as though the mouse has nibbled the pages. Charming and amusing.
January 21, 2015
I love Gravett's illustrations. But I'm not a big fan of this style of picture book. Too many bits and pieces and holes everywhere. Having said that, there is a sense of overall design behind the mouse graffiti. And mid primary aged kids will no doubt love it. Younger will rip off all the flaps :-(
October 6, 2016
A fabulously conceived design but sure to be a high casualty item in libraries.
October 8, 2016
Confusing but FANTASTIC. Worth peering into and fitting together and flipping back and forth to eke every bit of wit out of it.
September 16, 2019
Lovely book with flaps to engage a younger audience, would be a great book to read with a group of children to get everyone engaged
August 17, 2019
A nice idea but tricky to read.
March 4, 2015
Before the book's story even gets started, the reader is prompted to laugh out loud by the funny and enchanting illustrations and little labels given to everything we see on the page. Little Mouse claims authorship at every turn, even deleting Emily Garrett as the author on the cover. The undisputed star of the book is Little Mouse, make no mistake!
Starting with the king of animals, the noisy roaring lion, Little Mouse tells us what she doesn't like about lions, while the illustrations explain to the reader the nature of lions. Presented as a colourful punk rocker with a safety pin in his ear, the lion looks pretty scary!
Turning the page, the reader finds a lovely "origamice" insert that will allow nimble little fingers to make their own Little Mouse. The animal featured on this page is the sharp-tempered shark and the origami set also includes a shark template.
Each page is fun-packed but still educational, telling young readers the essential facts about each creature. The underlying theme, however, is that humour helps us to cope with our fears, making the featured animal appear far less scary than they were at first glance.
Elaborate and very funny inserts and pop-ups make this book a joy to behold, even for grown-ups. Every pages brings a new surprise that makes us smile or laugh out loud. Learn how to look after your teeth with the help of a crocodile or find out why owls and mice can never be best friends.
At the end of the book, we discover that mice, although seen as "mild and meek" are actually pretty gutsy and brave. Armed with nothing more than heaps of imagination and a paint box and paint brush, Little Mouse has transformed each toothy "foe" into a manageable bite-sized chunk of fun.
Two points of critique: the book features not enough animals and towards the end creatures are not that well explained either - it would have made more sense to present animals that are actually a threat to mice in the wild rather than include a crab, shark, rhino or lion.
Starting with the king of animals, the noisy roaring lion, Little Mouse tells us what she doesn't like about lions, while the illustrations explain to the reader the nature of lions. Presented as a colourful punk rocker with a safety pin in his ear, the lion looks pretty scary!
Turning the page, the reader finds a lovely "origamice" insert that will allow nimble little fingers to make their own Little Mouse. The animal featured on this page is the sharp-tempered shark and the origami set also includes a shark template.
Each page is fun-packed but still educational, telling young readers the essential facts about each creature. The underlying theme, however, is that humour helps us to cope with our fears, making the featured animal appear far less scary than they were at first glance.
Elaborate and very funny inserts and pop-ups make this book a joy to behold, even for grown-ups. Every pages brings a new surprise that makes us smile or laugh out loud. Learn how to look after your teeth with the help of a crocodile or find out why owls and mice can never be best friends.
At the end of the book, we discover that mice, although seen as "mild and meek" are actually pretty gutsy and brave. Armed with nothing more than heaps of imagination and a paint box and paint brush, Little Mouse has transformed each toothy "foe" into a manageable bite-sized chunk of fun.
Two points of critique: the book features not enough animals and towards the end creatures are not that well explained either - it would have made more sense to present animals that are actually a threat to mice in the wild rather than include a crab, shark, rhino or lion.
July 27, 2019
Emily Gravett's love of animals proliferates her picture books, but perhaps none more so than her 'Book of Beasts'. This book guides us through many common species that EYFS and KS1 children will be familiar with, using child-friendly rhyming that may even allow them to complete each line of poetry themselves; however it simultaneously uses surprisingly precise and scientifically accurate line drawings to depict them, and incorporates into each animal's double-page spread a snippet of scientific detail or other challenge directed at older children or teachers for development: we can design our own origami shark, read about wasp nests and reproduction - even discover a crocodile's guide for how humans can keep their teeth healthy! Humour is provided by the book's hijack by Little Mouse, who has taken Gravett's work and appended it thoroughly with his own comments and feelings on each species: lions should wear mittens to hide their claws, bears are lampooned by referencing Goldilocks, jelly dishes are preferred to jellyfish(es). Mouse has even crossed Gravett's name out on the front as author and replaced it with his own! There is however typically of Gravett a scientific justification of mouse's inclusion: as we discover on the final spread, all the animals previously depicted are potential predators for mice, a link cleverly made via pop-up flaps around the mouse's picture of himself. Discovery of species and their habitats at National Curriculum KS1 Years 1 and 2 would tie neatly into this book: we even learn about how a Boa Constrictor kills her prey and how the owl uses darkness to help her hunt. According to The Times, this book is 'funny, wise and exquisitely illustrated'; I feel sure this mixture of engagement and fascinating detail would enhance any primary investigation into the study of animals and the homes in which they live.
September 26, 2016
"Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts" is equal parts fun, engaging, and hilarious. With its collage-style illustrations, each page brings the reader into the story by having you notice torn pages, holes, or flaps to move and flip. The original story is written like a non fiction book, talking about various wild animals. Little Mouse, however, has intervened to make the story all his own by adding paint drawings throughout the pages and how-to guides that make the animals less scary--like creating an origami shark or learning how an alligator keeps up with his oral hygiene. Each of these playful elements not only add to the hilarity of the story, but play with both point of view and genre in interesting ways. There are two stories going on throughout that the reader must attend to: the original words and illustrations and those added by Little Mouse. In the end, he invites the reader to recreate a mouse using parts of each of the beasts he described throughout the story, creating the ultimate interactive final double page spread, as you have to lift and fold the flaps to reveal Little Mouse's final creation. Like other postmodern picturebooks, this one plays with the peritextual features by bringing them into the story. Gravett does this with the "This book belongs to" section, reviews on the back, and ISBN barcode. While the book must be approached with care because of all the moving parts, it is definitely worth adding to a collection that showcases nontraditional elements.
February 20, 2014
After facing his phobias, little mouse returns to take on his next set of challenges...horrible, terrifying, sharp-of-tooth-and-claw, beasts.
Clever holes, flaps, and torn pages allow mouse to alter and interject upon each entry, changing them into something more suitable for his fragile nature. Both creatures that prey on mice, and those that don't, frighten him, so he works very hard to artistically make them harmless. On one page he pastes a toothbrush in the mouth of a crocodile, while on another he swats a wasp with an over-sized newspaper. This is skilfully done in a pieced-together set of mediums, with drawings getting changed by photo-items and paints that mouse uses.
Finally, having "conquered" all these fearsome foes, mouse finds himself facing the scariest one yet. Full of detail and fun, Little Mouse's Book of Beasts is another example of Emily Gravett's unique and playful style.
Clever holes, flaps, and torn pages allow mouse to alter and interject upon each entry, changing them into something more suitable for his fragile nature. Both creatures that prey on mice, and those that don't, frighten him, so he works very hard to artistically make them harmless. On one page he pastes a toothbrush in the mouth of a crocodile, while on another he swats a wasp with an over-sized newspaper. This is skilfully done in a pieced-together set of mediums, with drawings getting changed by photo-items and paints that mouse uses.
Finally, having "conquered" all these fearsome foes, mouse finds himself facing the scariest one yet. Full of detail and fun, Little Mouse's Book of Beasts is another example of Emily Gravett's unique and playful style.
June 4, 2014
This book is about little mouse and the big scary animals that strike mouse full of fear. On each page there is a different beast with some text explaining why each beast is so fierce, there's lots of little hidden gems for you to interact with also like movable flaps and scribbled notes.
I absolutely loved this book it could keep me entertained for hours.
I think it would suit a wide range of age ranges but is most useful for year 2 to year 6.
I would use this book as a hook for a lesson combining creative writing and art and get pupils to create their own book influenced by Emily Gravett's creativity. It could also be used to prompt pupils to draw their own scary beast.
I absolutely loved this book it could keep me entertained for hours.
I think it would suit a wide range of age ranges but is most useful for year 2 to year 6.
I would use this book as a hook for a lesson combining creative writing and art and get pupils to create their own book influenced by Emily Gravett's creativity. It could also be used to prompt pupils to draw their own scary beast.
February 22, 2014
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts by Emily Gravett – I’ve decided that I must have an author study with Emily Gravett’s books. Her creativity always throws me for a loop and I actually have multiple copies of some of her books, enough for a class to inquire with, thrilled. Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts is quite a special little book, how you read it? Up to you. There’s the basic informational text accompanied by interesting interactive elements and Little Mouse’s comment about each beast. Pretty fantastic.
August 21, 2017
Emily Gravett's has released some stunning picture books. While I don't consider this her best work so far, it is great fun, if a bit confusing at times. If you've read other meta fiction stories like Chester by Melanie Watt than this book will go a lot smoother for you.
When I first opened this book I thought it was destroyed. It took a few pages before I realized it's supposed to be all torn to pieces.
The last page was a bit confusing. I assume the mouse is trying to make the picture look scary.
When I first opened this book I thought it was destroyed. It took a few pages before I realized it's supposed to be all torn to pieces.
The last page was a bit confusing. I assume the mouse is trying to make the picture look scary.
October 12, 2016
A mouse revises a rhyming book about beasts of all shapes and sizes so that the scariest parts of each creature are tamed. Using inventive uses of flaps and mixed media the reader is able to interact with each spread by exploring the bits and pieces caused by each revision.
In the last spread, the mouse is praised as a mild and meek creature, though by flipping the flaps provided can be turned into a mashup of a monster!
PreK-2 will get a kick out of exploring this book!
In the last spread, the mouse is praised as a mild and meek creature, though by flipping the flaps provided can be turned into a mashup of a monster!
PreK-2 will get a kick out of exploring this book!
December 29, 2016
A lot of work went into this book with the die-cut made to look like tearing and the flaps to lift or fold over. In the children's room of the library, I'm not sure how long the flaps will last.
Little Mouse has a running commentary on the "beasts" in this book. He wields his paintbrush to make them less threatening and tears the pages. In the end, he turns the Mouse page into a beast made of torn pages from the other critters's pages.
I'm getting tired of the meta.
Little Mouse has a running commentary on the "beasts" in this book. He wields his paintbrush to make them less threatening and tears the pages. In the end, he turns the Mouse page into a beast made of torn pages from the other critters's pages.
I'm getting tired of the meta.
September 22, 2018
Emily Gravett presents another brilliant children's book employing a range of postmodern techniques to egange the reader. As Little Mouse presents a series of dangerous animals using verse to highlight their dangerous qualities, each double page spread is filled with added text, flaps, holes and hints of of what is to come. You can't help but feed the fear of Little Mouse, but in the end, he finds a solution - a big scary .....?
Excellent and tremendous fun.
Excellent and tremendous fun.
November 1, 2016
Little Mouse has a new book full of facts about scary creatures like lions and sharks and owls. EEK! He decides to make each page less scary, he puts “shh” tape over the lion's mouth and covers his claws with pretty mittens, preschoolers will enjoy little mouse's antics. But what is that strange beast at the end of the book, is it a mouse or a monster??? Reviewer 11
January 4, 2017
This is a very creative picture book that will allow parents and little ones to interact over the book as they work their way through the changes that Little Mouse has made to each page including some that are flip ups or cut outs. This is a wonderful picture book which will probably not wear well in library use (too many easily torn pages) but will be loved while it lasts.
September 22, 2017
Incredibly clever blend of poetry and artwork. The reader catches Little Mouse in the act of reworking a book of animal poetry to reflect its own biases and preferences. The use of foldover elements and peek-through pages is ingenious. My favorite is the way the "Mouse" page is transformed by pieces of the previous poems!
June 13, 2018
Cool concept: Mouse ingeniously rewrites a book about ferocious beasts, changing his own portrayal in the process. But the result is visually chaotic and challenging to read out loud. A picture book designed for the grown-up who likes book arts and new versions of history. Mixed reviews from my 4 and 2 year olds.
March 23, 2019
This book is so clever. Little Mouse has edited the book to reflect their own opinions (and left some accidental marks behind, too). Ripped pages, holes, and flaps are used throughout the book to change meanings and entice the reader to turn the page. As wonderful as it is, the flaps in the text might make it a bit difficult to use for a group story time.
September 29, 2013
Beautifully and creatively crafted and hugely interactive with peer through holes and lift the flaps - a picture book that deals with scary creatures in the most interesting of ways. For all of my Emily Gravett fans, this will be a fought over title in our classroom library!
February 14, 2016
Nice book, but I got a bit bored of the mouse and his constant running away from everything and anything. I did like how the book was made, with snippets of paper here and there, drawings everywhere.
October 26, 2016
Karena buku ini milik tikus kecil (yang mungkin sangat sensitif), jangan terkejut jika ada sedikit modifikasi di dalamnya. Buku yang disusun semacam ensiklopedia hewan-hewan buas menjadi sedikit 'jinak' karena berbagai sensor dan revisi dari si tikus. Kreatif.
November 25, 2016
Gravett's strength is in her design skills and the unexpected, clever twists she employs in her storytelling and in her illustrations. This did not disappoint though some of the flaps were a bit tricky at the end.
December 6, 2016
oh, how clever this is! I don't know how long it will last on the shelf with all the flaps, but it's sure to be fun while it lasts. The last page is especially clever. It took me a minute to get what was going on...
July 11, 2016
Emily Gravett blends humor, information, and lots of illustrated tidbits to enjoy about animals that can be scary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews