MOUSEKIN'S GOLDEN HOUSE...a must have!

I hope as Fall comes near, you will find this precious little book and share it with your loved ones...it is full of "Fall-ness" and it will leave memories in your children's and grandchildren's hearts that they never will forget...my children, though grown still love it and remember it with such fondness.

This is one book you should have and and read with your children or grand children. It's a magical little story of a little mouse with no home." The soft water-color woodsy paintings with autumn trees and berries add beauty to this gentle story....a field mouse's encounter with something new in smell and in looks and usefulness...His domestic activity...and the snowy world have natural appeal." Mousekin finds himself a perfect winter retreat, a discarded jack-o'-lantern. This is a gentle coming-of-winter tale that will appeal to your children. I promise you, it will make you think about "where" to throw out your jack-o'-lantern after you are done with it!

Mousekin stretched and cleaned his white undercoat, he began to explore his new home, scurrying down the tiny path but always alert to all the sounds that filled the woods when evening came.

In the woods there are many tall trees, and small trees that reach and grow tall in the deep shade. There are low-growing bushes with berries and seeds that pop and roll about the forest floor. Beneath them all are tiny paths that only mice can see. One moonlight night, Mousekin followed just such a path....

Right in the middle of that very small path, Mousekin saw "something" that someone had thrown away when Hallowe'en was over....

Mouskin had never seen a jack-o'-lantern in all his mouse-days. he was so interested in it that he did not watch for danger with his bright, shoe-button eyes.

As Mousekin made a second turn around the smiling face, suddenly, a young owl swooped toward him!

But, before the owl could even blink its eyes, Mousekin jumped straight into the jack-o'-lantern's mouth!

Mousekin felt safe inside the sturdy walls of his golden house.

The days grew shorter and the nights grew longer. Mousekin worked each night to fill his new house with things to keep him warm, soft things for his nest: little feathers dropped by a bird in flight, thistledown, and milkweed~

When the turtle reached the jack-o'-lantern, he stopped in his tracks and stretched his neck to see if what he saw was true.

Just then, Mousekin popped his head out of one of his windows and scared the box turtle right back into his!

"The chipmunk hurried by,Come with me, beneath the ground. That house will never do. the wind will blow, the snow will snow, and chill you through and through."

The little mouse whistled a high soft "Goodbye!" He would not leave his golden house.

"Mousekin curled up, tucked his tiny feet beneath him, wrapped his long tail around some milkweed-down, and pulled it closely around him, and fell fast asleep."

"Inside, Mousekin was curled up into a tiny fur ball. He was safe and warm, and fast asleep in his golden house."

"Little by little and bit by bit something happened to the jack-o'-lantern. It began to close its eyes in the frosty air. It shut its mouth against the cold wind."
~~~

This is the cutest book ever! I can't tell you how many times me and my children have snuggled up under a blanket as I have read this darling book to them. I so loved reading to my kids when they were at home, we'd read almost every night and now I have such pleasant memories of that and they do too. Even the older ones who thought they were too old to be read too, would casually come into the room and lay on the floor..to listen as Mom read.

I have plenty of drama in me (got that from my Dad) so when I would read, I gave voice to each character, putting plenty of drama into the story! I loved it and they did too. We always had plenty of books in our home, I started them on books from the time they were little babies in my lap. Even now, I have lots of books and when the grand kids come over, they love me to read to them.

I read stories at the local library for awhile and loved that too, also fun was to go the the elementary school at Halloween time, dressed as a scary witch, and read scary stories to the kids. In my children's eyes, that made me a "star!" I would hand out some goulish treat to go along with the story...like gum eye balls!

I have so many favorite stories..."The Velveteen Rabbit"..."The Rain Babies"..."Heckedy Peg"..."Cookies"..."Corduroy"..."The Mitten"..."The Mother's Day Mice"..."The Talking Eggs"....All the Christmas stories and on and on!

"You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be-

I had a Mother who read to me."

Some of my kids like to read and some don't, but they still like me to read to them. When I was a child, my favorite thing to do was to get lost in a book and my favorite spot to read was up in the apple tree. I had a special place up there with a back rest, and a salt shaker for eating the apples. Sometimes, when Mom would call me, I wouldn't answer..I could sit up there all day, lost in my own little world. It was a good thing I had that time, because when I got a little older, I was required to work, driving the tractor-cleaning and cooking as my Mom had to get a job.

I hope you'll enjoy this little book, go find it for your children, and then snuggle up and read as these nights turn a little colder and the season's change from summer into Fall. Let me know if you like the book and what your children or grand children think of it. (next post will be the best Chili and home made Bread recipe ever..I promise!)