Autumn in the forest is harvest time. Nuts and seeds have already been gathered. Let's go dig sweet potatoes with the charming mouse family from the books by Japanese artist Kazuo Iwamura. It's not an easy task when the sweet potato root is large and hidden deep underground! But anything is possible when the whole family – both small and large – works together. And what a beautiful forest surrounds them, and what a delicious sweet potato dinner they had, absolutely scrumptious!
"14 Forest Mice" is a very popular series of books in Japan and many European countries about the beauty of everyday life and the life of three generations of a mouse family: grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, and a dozen little mice.
Mouse Books are a new format for our beloved mice. We decided that it's difficult to take large mice with you for a walk, in a stroller, car, or plane. So now the mice are not only half the size, but also in an integral, semi-soft cover, which means they'll fit even in a crammed backpack!
The plot of this Japanese story strongly resembles an expanded version of "The Giant Turnip" with a lot of descriptions of the surrounding nature. As in "The Giant Turnip," the focus is on the coordinated work of the whole family. And all efforts are rewarded with a delicious and varied dinner.
In the books about the 14 mice, children can easily practice counting to 10, develop their attention to detail, learn to distinguish one mouse from another, and practice comparing what happened before, who came from where, and what they were doing previously.
On the endpapers of the book, the main plants present in the illustrations are drawn and labeled. We think you'll find it interesting after reading to delve with your child into the educational world of plants and learn a little more about the life of animals and insects in the forest, find a real sweet potato in the store (maybe even cook it) and compare it with a wild sweet potato.
For preschool and early elementary school age.
