King Mouse finds his authority in question when his subjects find crowns of their own. A gentle and humorous modern fable about imaginative play and kindness in the tradition of classics like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.
A sweet, thoughtful tale of friendship, sharing and play, King Mouse begins when a mouse comes upon a tiny crown in the grass. The mouse puts the crown on his head, and when a bear subsequently comes upon him and asks if he's king, the mouse responds "Yes."
This diminutive monarch settles into his new role very comfortably . . . until a snake comes upon a crown and claims she is queen. The mouse is not amused, especially when one by one the other animals find crowns and claim they are royalty too. But when the bear can't find a crown, King Mouse make a most surprising decision.
This inspired collaboration between an award-winning author and debut picture book illustrator Dena Seiferling is quietly profound in its simplicity and has the feeling of a modern classic.
HONOR
| 2020 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
SHORTLIST
| 2020 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
FINALIST
| 2019 Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children
One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Kids 2019
PRAISE FOR King Mouse:
“Each page is riotous and breathtaking.” --STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire
“Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today.” --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
“. . . Seiferling creates striking, silvery graphite spreads to illustrate this story. . . . Fagan develops with dry wit the story of the crowns and the way they skew the animals’ judgment, ending the tale on a wistful, affectionate note.” --Publishers Weekly
"The quiet resolution is extremely satisfying [and the art] exude[s] an air of fantasy that perfectly complements this gentle, relatable story" --School Library Journal
“Highly recommended for classroom, public or personal libraries. This book would make an excellent read-aloud with many possibilities for follow-up projects and discussions.” --Resource Links
“In addition to being a quiet browsing book or a one-on-one reading experience, King Mouse would make a lovely read-aloud for storytelling. Highly Recommended.” --CM Magazine
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator.
View titles by Dena Seiferling
King Mouse finds his authority in question when his subjects find crowns of their own. A gentle and humorous modern fable about imaginative play and kindness in the tradition of classics like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.
A sweet, thoughtful tale of friendship, sharing and play, King Mouse begins when a mouse comes upon a tiny crown in the grass. The mouse puts the crown on his head, and when a bear subsequently comes upon him and asks if he's king, the mouse responds "Yes."
This diminutive monarch settles into his new role very comfortably . . . until a snake comes upon a crown and claims she is queen. The mouse is not amused, especially when one by one the other animals find crowns and claim they are royalty too. But when the bear can't find a crown, King Mouse make a most surprising decision.
This inspired collaboration between an award-winning author and debut picture book illustrator Dena Seiferling is quietly profound in its simplicity and has the feeling of a modern classic.
Awards
HONOR
| 2020 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
SHORTLIST
| 2020 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
FINALIST
| 2019 Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children
One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Kids 2019
PRAISE FOR King Mouse:
“Each page is riotous and breathtaking.” --STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire
“Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today.” --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
“. . . Seiferling creates striking, silvery graphite spreads to illustrate this story. . . . Fagan develops with dry wit the story of the crowns and the way they skew the animals’ judgment, ending the tale on a wistful, affectionate note.” --Publishers Weekly
"The quiet resolution is extremely satisfying [and the art] exude[s] an air of fantasy that perfectly complements this gentle, relatable story" --School Library Journal
“Highly recommended for classroom, public or personal libraries. This book would make an excellent read-aloud with many possibilities for follow-up projects and discussions.” --Resource Links
“In addition to being a quiet browsing book or a one-on-one reading experience, King Mouse would make a lovely read-aloud for storytelling. Highly Recommended.” --CM Magazine
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator.
View titles by Dena Seiferling
