| Title | : | Town Mouse, Country Mouse |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 069811986X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780698119864 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1994 |
Town Mouse, Country Mouse Reviews
-
Even though it does seem that Jan Brett's retelling of the Aesop fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (which is also considered type 112 in the Aarne-Thompson's folk tale index) has generally high average star rankings on Goodreads, and while I am usually very much a fan of Brett's folklore adaptations, personally as well as on a folkloric level, I have to admit that I have not found Town Mouse, Country Mouse either all that engaging or even all that pleasant a reading experience.
For one, although I do appreciate how imaginative Jan Brett's narrative is, considering that Town Mouse, Country Mouse is supposed to be a picture book, sorry, but to and for me, Brett's presented text is simply much too wordy and involved for the intended age group, for the so-called picture book crowd. And yes, I actually and personally also do tend find the presented storyline of Town Mouse, Country Mouse rather tediously and draggingly penned at times and so much so that by the end of Town Mouse, Country Mouse I was indeed simply glad that I was finished reading (with the wordiness and textual density of Jan Brett's narrative also in my opinion rather diluting and lessening the important messages of being happy with one's home, and that the proverbial grass is not always greener on the other side). And for two (and for me this is actually a much more problematic issue), considering that the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse story is originally an Aesop fable (as already pointed out above), I really fail to understand why Jan Brett has not included an author's note showing this and the changes she has made in her own retelling and the reasons why (and considering that for many of her folktale adaptations, Jan Brett does indeed include detailed and informative author's notes, I for one am and remain quite massively disappointed that this has not been the case for her Town Mouse, Country Mouse).
And thus, only two stars for Town Mouse, Country Mouse, as aside from my textual and folkloric issues with Jan Brett's printed words, I also have not really found the accompanying illustrations all that visually appealing (for while how Jan Brett has depicted the various animals that inhabit the pages of Town Mouse, Country Mouse is of course and like usual adept and successfully rendered, personally, I absolutely and totally would much rather be seeing animals drawn and depicted as being animals and not clad in human costumes and garb, which I usually do find rather creepy if not even somewhat animal unfriendly). -
This shows off Brett's talent and dedication to her illustrations very well. It's a bit wordy, but some readers might like that because the dilemma that the mice work through is brought to full clarity. I like that the mouse-wives are included. And I really like .
The wordiness also means that the reader-listener is encouraged to spend more time on each page appreciating the details in the artwork.
I'm not a huge fan of Brett, and I find that a little goes a long way for me. Don't take a three-star rating as a negative. -
I love Jan Brett's books. They are always the perfect pick-me-up, and the illustrations are some of the best. This story was especially endearing, seeing as I have a soft spot for mice, but also because it has a great moral. "The grass is always greener on the other side." It's so important to appreciate what you already have.
I can't wait to read this to my future children! -
A good Town Mouse Country Mouse retelling. Jan Brett's illustrations are lovely, but perhaps a little overly ornate - it was hard for me to pick out details sometimes.
-
My nephew chose this book to read. They enjoyed the book and liked seeing the owl and the cat be confused by the town mice and the country mice. They thought that was funny. I thought it was a great little story about being happy where you are. I don't think they got what they story was trying to say,( three and six) and they still enjoyed the book. The artwork was beautiful.
-
I raised my eleven children on this book. We all love it!
-
Based upon the classic fable from Aesop, Jan Brett's Town Mouse, Country Mouse fleshes out the story, adding husbands for the mice, and dangerous predators, in the shape of a cat and owl. When the town mice switch homes with the country mice, both couples think that they will have a wonderful time, but discover instead that the "other" half also experiences its share of discomfort, and that, in the end, home is best. Will the owl and the cat feel the same...?
I found this picture-book adaptation charming, and enjoyed Brett's distinctive artwork, with its colorful palette and attention to detail. The side-panels, which feature the owl and cat, respectively, tell their own story. I was particularly struck by the ending, which seems to emphasize the fact that sometimes we need to learn lessons for ourselves. -
This book was featured as one of the selections for the
December 2019: Celebrating Jan Brett discussion at the
Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books group here at Goodreads. -
This one is from my childhood. The illustrations on this one make you think wow they don't make picture books like this anymore.
-
Just lovely!
-
Town Mouse, Country Mouse is a piece of folklore by Jan Brett. She features realistic yet whimsical illustrations in her signature style. The theme of this book centers around gratefulness and recognition that a life that suits one may not suit another. The end of this book is reminiscent of a circular plot and will keep young readers thinking about the book long after they set it down. Overall, this was a humorous and charming story that I would run to town, the country, and back again to have on my shelf!
-
I think this is my favourite version of this tale now. And now that I know how absolutely charming Jan Brett's illustrations and retelling styles are (between this one and "The Mitten") I need to read all of hers now. <3
-
Town Mouse, Country Mouse- This book is written by Jan Brett. The plot introduces two engaging mouse couples eager to get away from their everyday lives. She did an amazing job retelling this fable. The images are very detailed and very clear. The characters in the book meaning the mice are something children would really be interested in reading and would enjoy!!
-
The author Jan Brett did an amazing job on retelling this popular fable. This modern picture book focuses on two mice that want to switch homes. When you get to the climax they realized that switching was nothing like they thought. They experience unexpected adventures throughout the book. I recommend this folklore book to all ages!
-
The author, Jan Brett, did an amazing job with this folklore. I especially liked that the illustrations matched the genre. I noticed that many different animals were introduced throughout the story. This made me think that this formal picture book would be a great read-aloud because the class could make observations about the animals and illustrations.
-
Jan Brett did a wonderful job retelling this popular fable with her own twist. The plot focuses on two mice couples that desire to switch homes. In a thrilling climax, they decide switching homes is not all that they thought it would be. This modern picture book has a very formal arrangement, with beautiful illustrations covering all the spreads. I recommend this piece of folklore for readers of all ages!
-
My daughter (four years, ten months) tells me that this book is amazing for five stars and not just a we really like it at four stars. She also says that it was great except the fox, he was a little too scary. You gotta love kid reactions. This book was an optional resource for social studies in the Memoria Press Kindergarten in the week where we read
Come On, Rain! (and in science we discussed rain and the phases of the water cycle). For the social studies aspect we discussed rural versus urban lifestyle.
I've read quite a few different versions of Town Mouse and the Country Mouse over the years and this was different from any other I've read, but I think I may have actually enjoyed it more than the rest. As each mouse has a wife, and there is a switch of the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" theme rather than just visiting a cousin in other versions I know. This is a great one to show and compare.
Then there are the fun and entertaining illustrations of Jan Brett. While reading through it we didn't focus on it too much, but in rereads we have poured over the pages and really pointed out things on the sidelines to see what is going on beyond just what the characters of mice are saying.
Excellent book choice, as always with Memoria Press read aloud recommendations.
We also have:
-
Town mouse is tired of the hustle and bustle that is a part of his daily life. Country mouse wants some excitement and a change of the laid back pace that he has grown ever used to. In this beautifully illustrated picture book, town mouse and country mouse and their wives decide to swap homes. However, the life that they coveted is not entirely what they had expected it to be. The mice both encounter issues that they do not know how to deal with due to their lack of experience. Country mouse gets his tail snapped in a mouse trap; town mouse gets chased by a black bird. The couples quickly realize that the lives that were so boring before were actually quite perfect.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it would make for a great lesson in an elementary classroom. This story teaches all readers to be grateful for what they have. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Just ask town or country mouse. -
This author does great work with her books, and the illustrations are great with this book! I did a great activity with the students in which we created a list of 'pros' and 'cons' to living in the city versus living in the country. The kids liked discussing why they would live in either one and then wrote specifics from the book. It's a cute story and can be used for many literacy skills!
-
A nice one time read. The illustrations are very nice but a little scary (cat and owl scenarios).
-
We should be happy with what we have and should not always envy what somebody else has. This is the moral of the book “Town Mouse, Country Mouse” by Jan Brett. Since the story conveys a pretty strong message and since it is about a cat, an owl, and four mice that can talk, it can be considered a typical fable. Throughout the whole book, every other page is reserved for either the town mice or the country mice. This way of organizing the content constantly shows the readers the downsides of not being happy with what you have and yearning for everything you do not have, and therefore, reinforces the moral of the fable.
The moral of the story is also what I personally liked most about “Town Mouse, Country Mouse” by Jan Brett. Even though the moral is hidden and may need some time to be understood, I still strongly believe that children will grasp it after a while. They will eventually and hopefully also understand the importance of the message conveyed so that they will forget their greatest wishes at least for a while. Another aspect that I also loved about this fable is that the pictures depict many stereotypes. For instance, whereas the town mice are beautifully dressed and even wear jewelry, the country mice stand out because of the rags they have slipped on. This clear contrast may foster stereotypes in the minds of children. Whereas I do not consider the illustrations highly problematic because they are part of a fable, I am convinced that this is an aspect that could be taken up in a classroom so that the formation of stereotypes can be prevented.
Other than the reinforcement of stereotypes, I consider this fable as an ideal resource for the classroom to practice finding the moral and to take a look at the characteristics of the genre. It is short enough for classroom use and still contains all necessary features of a fable. Therefore, I would definitely use it in the classroom so that my students get a feel for the structure and organization of the genre. -
In other books I'm reading, I'm currently working my way through Arthur Rackham's illustrated version of Aesop's fables, so the story of the town mouse and the country mouse who switch abodes is fresh in my mind. Aesop's version is obviously very concise, but I very much enjoyed Jan Brett's heavily illustrated and slightly expanded text. The contrast between the woodland setting (a staple in Brett's work, though generally covered in snow) and the town house (an easy win for luxurious backgrounds and Brett's signature detail) is extremely well done and may actually be one of Brett's strongest books to date. Brett is known for her Scandinavian and central-European snow-covered landscapes, but it was a lovely change to see her tackle the lush greenery of a summertime forest since she is no less a master of working in overabundant colour than in carefully warmed whites. The book is also a good reimagining of Aesop's classic fable - showing readers the benefits and disadvantages of each way of living, and providing a conclusion that is rife with humour. Only Brett would see the run-in between the predatory owl and cat as a moment of comedic reflection, and this careful turn of story is sure to bring a laugh to any reader.
-
A classic switcharoo story, where a town mouse and his wife, who want to leave their cozy house-life to live in the country, meet a country mouse and his wife who would love to live in a townhouse. They switch places but find out that they are better suited to the environments that they originally lived in, and switch back.
We read this for Blossom & Root's Kindergarten curriculum, which includes several of Aesop's fables so we have an ebook collection for that, but I'm a big fan of Jan Brett's books so we had this in our personal collection. It's a bit longer than the version in our ebook, with a bit more elaboration and detail.
Jan Brett's illustrations always make me happy. The attention to detail and proportion is amazing and I absolutely love how each picture has it's own unique border. Her books are usually focused around animals and nature so we are always eager to read more of her books in order to see more of her amazing artwork! -
Fiction (Fable Adaptation)
K-2
The illustrations of Jan Brett's books always take center stage. No matter the subject, children love looking at all the hidden details in the pictures and this book is no exception. The lesson of this book, there's no place like home or the grass is always greener, are ones that children can understand. It is a bit wordy and would be difficult for an early elementary reader to get through in a timely manner. It is probably more useful as a read aloud. I love that it highlights how each adapted to their environment and I think it could spark an interesting discussion with children.
