ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

I can see this being a modern classic, honesty, it's that good. This reads like an old fable and has the nuances to boot, keenly touching on themes like pride, envy, selfishness, deception and (in the end) empathy - without being too on-the-nose. The story is about a mouse who finds a crown in the grass and is declared King by the other forest animals. He keeps up the facade... until the title loses its meaning. Paired with great, classical feeling soft illustrations, I really loved this story and I believe it will be on the praise lists of many by the end of the year.

Rating: 4.5/5

This picture book is short, and very sweet. The illustrations are unique, and so lovely. This is a book I would add to my shelves.

King mouse is a sweet little tale about the importance of imagination, inclusion and friendship. This books illustrations are soft and warm and truly beautiful to look at. With all of the bright and bold children’s books that are on the shelves it’s nice to see one with a more subdued color scheme.

This is a calm book I’d love to read to my son at bedtime.

This picture book explores leadership and friendship, with a sweet message about inclusion.

One day, a mouse finds a tiny crown in the grass. He puts it on, and when a bear comes along and asks him if he's a king, he replies in the affirmative. It isn't long before the other animals are finding food for their king and trying to keep him entertained. But then a snake finds another crown and decides she's a queen. And then the other animals find their own crowns, and everyone gets to be a king or queen. Everyone, that is, except for the bear. He can't find a crown, and feels left out... so he wanders off by himself, leaving the others to play their game of royalty. But the mouse finds him, and figures out a way to make him feel better, solidifying their friendship and showing that being king (or queen) isn't the most important thing.

It's a simple story, but I enjoyed it. The illustrations--monochromatic, for the most part; the colour is very subtle--have a gentle look to them. Even the snake is kind of appealing and not very scary (although, I was a bit worried for the mouse when she came on the scene).

This is a sweet little picture book. The soft text and friendly message make me think this would be a great bedtime read.

A crown-wearing mouse enjoys the forest animals treating him as royalty, but his delight turns to frustration as the others find crowns of their own.

I enjoyed Cary Fagan’s King Mouse and the other animals’ creative ideas about how to amuse their crowned mouse friend. None of the animals were rejected or turned away from playing together as a group. Intentional exclusion is a trope that, while irrefutably meaningful, feels uninspired and overused. Throughout the book, the charismatic mouse is accompanied by a mellow bear, a purposeful crow, a spirited tortoise, and an enthusiastic fox. The arrival of a crown-wearing snake disrupts their playtime.

Monochromatic illustrations in a book for this age group are hit or miss with me, and Dena Seiferling’s were a hit. Though lightly colored and not truly monochromatic, the fine detail, the animals’ expressions, and scenes of wistful silliness would easily have been equally enchanting.

The story as a whole (spoilers ahead) is enjoyable and worth reading, especially so for animal lovers. I liked the book, but not enough to rush out and buy a copy. It is relevant in that the events that unfolded were not unlike something that could take place among children anywhere. The bear’s inability to find a crown disappoints him, but the mouse’s quick thinking and ingenuity resolves that. While I’d liked to have seen all the animals happily crowned and playing fairly together before the end of the book, I can’t review a part of the story that doesn’t exist. I am contented by the mouse’s benevolence and the friendly camaraderie they share. The bear seems contented too.


Thanks to Tundra Books at Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the provided e-ARC and the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest, unbiased, and voluntary. #NetGalley #KingMouse

[Initial thoughts for classroom: symbolic/pretend play. inclusion. sharing. taking turns. making crowns (art). brainstorming/creating alternate endings (literacy—writing prompts, problem, solution, conclusion).]

Overall Rating = 4.75
Storyline & Concept = 4.5
Writing & Delivery = 5
Cover Marketability = 4.5
Editorial = 5

King Mouse is a very well-written, longer children’s story about the perception others have of each other, just simply by wearing a faux crown. The vocabulary is excellent, which makes reading with your children a learning experience as well. The harder words for younger children are well-timed; they don’t take away from the story, they only add more mystique and assist the flow. An adult may appreciate the ending more than a child, who may be searching for something simpler… more obvious. This children’s book was reviewed by both an adult and five-year-old jointly, and we both truly enjoyed reading it.

Sublime Line: “Crisp writing, a story that engages and challenges early readers, gorgeous illustrations, and a warming conclusion make this a must-read for all parents and older children.”

Thank you #netgalley for giving me a copy of #KingMouse to review. This is a cute tale about animals in a forest. Mouse finds a crown and the others decide he's a king shop he goes with it until the others find crowns also. I enjoyed the simple pictures and well written story. The ending was sweet. This will be a great addition to my #classroombookaday lessons this year with my fifth graders.

This will surely become a classic children's read. The illustrations are beautiful just as the lesson learned by the creatures of the forest.

In so many ways, I was really left disappointed by <i>King Mouse</i> by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Dena Seiferling. While I can certainly say that I loved the illustrations and was over the moon thrilled to see that there was an absolutely beautiful fox in the story, overall it just didn't really mean anything to me in the end. <i>King Mouse </i>follows a young mouse in the forest who happens upon a crown in the grass and decides to place it upon his head. Ultimately, this leads everyone into the forest to believe that the mouse is now the king as only kings wear crowns. But when other animals begin to find crowns as well and slowly start to put them on their own heads, suddenly the role of the king isn't so luxurious anymore. And King Mouse's once amazing and powerful position no longer represents something that puts him above the rest since now everyone has been elevated along with him.

Honestly, I think this story has a bit of merit in that it portrays a situation that might happen in a make-believe game between children. It very much matches the kind of games where one kid wants to be the best superhero and everyone else goes along with it for a while until finally, all the other kids want to be a superhero, too. But for me, this just doesn't work as a story. It's lackluster and it's not really something I care to read about. And the story doesn't really ever end in a way that leaves me feeling as though it really gives kids any insight for how to respond to situations like that.

Ultimately, I was just incredibly disappointed with the story, with how it ended. I can't imagine myself recommending it or buying it for anyone. Really, the best part about this book truly was the artwork, but even that wasn't enough for me to get much enjoyment out of it. And as far as a message goes, I just feel like it could have been much stronger in the long run, but missed the point by a landslide.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

A gentle and beautifully illustrated picture book briefly detailing the adventures of forest animals who discover crowns.

I've only recently begun to explore the world of picture books again, and this one did not disappoint. The text and the illustrations complemented each other perfectly, layering the story with nuances that I'm sure children will easily be able to pick up. I'm also sure the book will become one of those favorites that gets read and reread every night, as it is simply gorgeous.

Oh, this was cute! I liked this story! A little mouse finds a crown and puts it on, other animals think he's a king and gather food for him and entertain him. Then the animals find more crowns for themselves to be queens. But poor bear- no crown for him, until mouse comes up with a clever solution. Illustrations are soft and lovely.