Once Upon a Twice (Picture Book) - Hardcover

Doyen, Denise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375856129 ISBN 13: 9780375856129

Publisher: Random House, 2009

Synopsis

A cautionary tale for mice reminiscent of Carroll’s Jabberwocky!


Out in the open, in the clear,
Where any wisenmouse would fear,
Jam licks his paw, he grooms an ear,
And never hears approaching hisssss . . .

What will happen to the brave mouse Jam when he breaks the rules and goes for a moonlit adventure against the advice of the elder mice?

Award-winning illustrator Barry Moser has created a dark and vivid mouse world to complement this cautionary tale full of clever nonsense words and rhyming prose that will keep kids on the edge of their seats.

About this title

About the Author

Denise Doyen studied creative writing, poetry, and design at Stanford University. A writer at heart, she went back to school to concentrate on writing for children. Once Upon a Twice is her first book. She lives in Pacific Palisades, California.

Barry Moser is an acclaimed illustrator who has won numerous awards. His works can be found in special collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the British Museum, and the Library of Congress. He lives in Massachusetts.

Reviews

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3—Doyen's utterly sound and alive story is paired with the perfect illustrator, whose deft touch provides all the eeriness that it begs for. The cautionary tale begins with the "eldermice" telling the youngsters who are gathered to play in the night air that the woods and ponds are filled with creatures dangerous to their kind. With gloriously nonsensical words and phrases (e.g., "scritchscrambles"), the author manages to get the point across that there is much to fear in the night. Jam Boy doesn't listen and instead brags that he is unafraid, and he stays to play alone by the pond. Here the language grows taut with suspense, and Moser's dark backdrop is punctuated with fireflies. "Half-submerged, a slender queen/Esses 'cross the pond unseen,/Sly serpentine—bound not to miss…." Out of nowhere a snake roils, coils, and lashes. Splash! What has happened to Jam Boy? Children will be sitting on the edge of their seats awaiting some news about their fallen protagonist. Despite the dark feel, there is much to rejoice about in learning of Jam Boy's fate. Ultimately a story of youthful arrogance—or as Doyen calls it, "furry overconfidence"—versus the elders' wise experience, this wonderful book is a marvelous read-aloud that children will want to hear again and again. It is too good to save for Halloween.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
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Edition details

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0375856129
• ISBN 13: 9780375856129
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Moser Barry
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32