As Quiet as a Mouse

In the eyes of the reception class children I tried it with, As Quiet as a Mouse is a worthy successor to Hilda Offen's poular The Sheep Gave a Leap. They clamoured for more, but, be prepared - if you use the book with a large group, it is even harder on the ears than its predecessor! This title focuses more on sound than on movement, building gradually from tiptoeing as quietly as a mouse and giving a giggle with a worm with a wriggle, through to roaring with a dinosaur and a crescendo when all the animals join in together. With an aplomb a lot of teachers would envy, the toddler narrator then quells the noise and organises all the creatures to join in a calm and ordered finale! The illustrations are immediately appealing and the rhyming text reinforces the accelerating pace. This book will appeal to one child or a group of children - all it needs is an energetic adult to make the reading of it a truly active and participatory experience!