Title: The Big Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear.

Author Audrey Wood

Illustrator” Don Wood

Grade Level: 2^nd Grade

     Who loves Strawberries? I know I do, and so does a little mouse… and a big hungry bear. Find out what happens in this story to Little Mouse as he tries to protect his strawberry from the big hungry bear!

     The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear, is about a little mouse who finds and picks a delicious red ripe strawberry. Unfortunately, he has never heard of the big hungry bear that happens to love red ripe strawberries. Frantically Little Mouse runs through many different strategies to protect his precious strawberry. These strategies involve burying it, chaining it, and putting it under lock and key, and even disguising it. His final plan is to cut the strawberry in half. He gives half to the reader, and eats the other half himself. This way the bear will never find it.

     I love the illustrations in this book. The illustrations fill up the entire page, and the facial expressions that Little Mouse makes can be interpreted very clearly.  The mouse’s antics are also drawn very comically. Another thing that I appreciate about this book is how the author chose to write the book. She makes the reader a character in the story, as they are the ones who are interacting with the mouse. An example of this would be the first page which reads, “Hello little mouse, what are you doing?” The mouse’s facial expressions respond to what the readers says or asks.

This book is an example of a fantasy picture book. Fantasy books require that the reader believe in something that is unbelievable for a moment. This can be seen in this book when the reader interacts with the mouse, and the mouse comprehends what is being said. This doesn’t ever happen in real life.  Also, mice do not build homes with doors, use tablecloths, silverware, or ladders.

I would include this story in my classroom library. This book shows how illustrations can give a story more personality, as well as showing students different style for writing, since this book is written with the reader as a character rather than being a part of the audience.