Town Mouse Country Mouse :: Jan Brett

Though we've read a few other permutations of the Town Mouse / Country Mouse story, I'll pick up anything illustrated by Jan Brett.

Of course, the town mouse and his wife trade homes with the country mouse and her husband. They both try to make the best of it, but have hard times adapting.





As always, the illustrations by Jan Brett are full of depth and color. I especially love the scenes in the forest, the layers of foliage and scenery. The mice are all nicely dressed, and even the owl and cat are suited.

Beauty and the Beast :: Marianna Mayer . Mercer Mayer

Though we just read an edition of Beauty and the Beast by Jan Brett last week, this one made it into the library basket as well. The paintings in this version are beautiful!


In this traditional telling, a merchant comes upon a castle in a storm, and picks a rose from the garden. The Beast appears and the merchant must come back to pay the penalty, or bring back his daughter in his place.


Beauty insists on submitting to the Beast's requests, and stays in his castle. She comes to love the Beast, and the spell is broken.

Favorites from 2009

As I plan on chronicling the books we read in 2010, I've been thinking of the stories we've heard in 2009.

My children and I have also made the transition from reading 3 to 4 books an evening to concentrating on only one. A bit overkill with the three books a night, so much so that I can't remember most of them. Between keeping to one book at bedtime, sharing them here and on goodreads, I hope to keep an archive of the stories we share.

A few favorites from 2009...



Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.

Ox Cart Man
By Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney.




The Man Who Lived Alone
Another by Donald Hall, illustrated by Mary Azarian.



Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins
Retold and illustrated by Lauren Mills.

Hansel and Gretel :: Cynthia Rylant . Jen Corace

We've read this book a couple times before, illustrated beautifully by Jen Corace. The text by Cynthia Rylant imbues the story with fateful, magical subtext.