Title: Frederick
Author/Illustrator: Leo Lionni
Genre: fable
Characters: Frederick and his field mouse family
Summary of Book: Frederick's family of mice begins to store away food and supplies for the long winter ahead. They gather corn, grains, and straw. However, Frederick collects rays of sun, colors of the rainbow, and words to talk about. Soon, winter comes and the family begins to use up their supplies. They get antsy, grumpy, and don't have anything to talk about. Frederick shares his stores of sun rays, colors, and a poem to enliven their spirits. The moral of this fable is that even though someone's work might not look important, every contribution is valuable to the group.
Comments: I enjoyed the simple diction and lovely cut-out illustrations of Lionni's fable. The moral of the story is subtle but still evident to children. Frederick's artistic and abstract contributions to his family were just as necessary as other traditional contributions. It reminds all of us to save up the art and light in our world, especially for when things get dark and cold. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book and is a timeless classic.
Age Level: appropriate for all ages, first/second grade reading level
1 comment:
This story is as beautiful as poetry to me and I read it to my first grade seven years in a row. Almost everyone really enjoyed it and this proves the point that differences are really what makes the world go round!
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