"Seven Blind Mice" , "The Hungry Caterpillar" and "Cookie's Week"

Seven Blind Mice
by Ed Young
This is a wonderful story in which seven blind mice relate their experiences with a strange "something". Each day one mouse goes to explore the mysterious object and returns to describe it. Together they try to determine what it is, but since each has experienced a different part, they are stumped. Each mouse is a different color and goes out on a different day of the week, which provides some nice opportunities to help children recreate the story sequence. The last mouse is able to put together the pieces and help his friends understand how they fit together.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
A caterpillar hatches from an egg and begins to eat. It eats its way through the days of the week with a different food on each day until it is time to build its cocoon. Each picture of what the caterpillar eats has an actual hole through the paper. On the last page, a butterfly emerges to the delight of all the young children listening to this classic story. Story sequence and the days of the week can be studied using this book as a springboard, and children will want to hear it and view the captivating illustrations over and over again.


Cookie's Week
by Cindy Ward
Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
A simple story about a kitten's antics is organized by the days of the week. Each day Cookie has another cheerful mishap, illustrated with charming pictures by the well-loved Tomie dePaola. At the end of the story, This is an easy reader that can be used to teach days of the week.


Story Props for Seven Blind Mice, The Hungry Caterpillar and Cookie's Week

I was unable to find inexpensive colored mice for Seven Blind Mice, so am suggesting a pom-pom animal book with materials to make your own .

"The Black Book of Colors" and "Fireflies"

The Black Book of Colors
by Menena Cottin (Author), Rosana Faria (Illustrator), Elisa Amado (Translator)
Using words that awaken your senses, this unusual book describes the way that colors might feel. Each page is black, but the illustrations are in relief so they can be experienced tactilely. Not many books offer seeing children an idea of visual impairment that is also beautiful. This book is apt for teaching the comprehension strategy of visualization.

Fireflies (Reading Rainbow)
by Julie Brinckloe
Few childhood experiences are as rich as chasing fireflies outside at dusk in the summertime with siblings, cousins or neighbors. The language describing firefly hunting stimulates the senses, bringing the reader outside in the sparkling dark with the children in the story. The ending is satisfying. Here is another great story to practice the comprehension strategy of visualization.


Story Props for "The Black Book of Colors" and "Fireflies"




This jar of "fireflies" can be purchased from Signals.
Click on the picture to link to the site.

"Mouse Count" and "Mouse Paint"

Mouse Count is a simple but pleasing story that lends itself to teaching counting forward and backward and counting on for addition with numbers 1-10. It can also be used to practice number word reading. Ten mice, a jar and a hungry snake interact to create the plot. Use an empty clear plastic food jar, 10 furry mice and a hungry snake for the retelling.


Mouse Paint, another story involving mice by the same author, follows the exploration of 3 white mice into the world of color as they dip into paint cans and dance in paint puddles. With 3 empty cans or cups to represent paint cans, 3 white mice, and 3 mice in primary colors, the tale can begin. You may want 3 more mice in purple, orange, and green to tell the rest of the story. Oh, and did I mention that there was a black cat?


Books and Story props for "Mouse Count" and "Mouse Paint":