King Mouse

Author Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dena Seiferling
Look inside
King Mouse finds his authority in question when his subjects find crowns of their own. A gentle and humorous modern fable about imaginative play and kindness in the tradition of classics like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.

A sweet, thoughtful tale of friendship, sharing and play, King Mouse begins when a mouse comes upon a tiny crown in the grass. The mouse puts the crown on his head, and when a bear subsequently comes upon him and asks if he's king, the mouse responds "Yes."

This diminutive monarch settles into his new role very comfortably . . . until a snake comes upon a crown and claims she is queen. The mouse is not amused, especially when one by one the other animals find crowns and claim they are royalty too. But when the bear can't find a crown, King Mouse make a most surprising decision.

This inspired collaboration between an award-winning author and debut picture book illustrator Dena Seiferling is quietly profound in its simplicity and has the feeling of a modern classic.
© Josh Levine
CARY FAGAN has written award-winning books for both adults and children. Cary has won the City of Toronto Book Award, the Jewish Book Committee Prize for Fiction and the Mr. Christie Silver Medal. His numerous kids' books include Mort Ziff Is Not Dead, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books and the picture books King Mouse, Bear Wants to Sing, What Are You Doing, Benny? and Little Blue Chair. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. In addition to his books for children, Cary is the author of six novels and three story collections for adults. He was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family. View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator. View titles by Dena Seiferling
  • HONOR | 2020
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2020
    Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
  • FINALIST | 2019
    Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children
  • FINALIST | 2019
    Governor General's Literary Awards - Children's Literature - Illustration
One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Kids 2019

PRAISE FOR King Mouse:

“Each page is riotous and breathtaking.” --STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire

“Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today.” --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

“. . . Seiferling creates striking, silvery graphite spreads to illustrate this story. . . . Fagan develops with dry wit the story of the crowns and the way they skew the animals’ judgment, ending the tale on a wistful, affectionate note.” --Publishers Weekly

"The quiet resolution is extremely satisfying [and the art] exude[s] an air of fantasy that perfectly complements this gentle, relatable story" --School Library Journal

“Highly recommended for classroom, public or personal libraries. This book would make an excellent read-aloud with many possibilities for follow-up projects and discussions.” --Resource Links


“In addition to being a quiet browsing book or a one-on-one reading experience, King Mouse would make a lovely read-aloud for storytelling. Highly Recommended.” --CM Magazine

About

King Mouse finds his authority in question when his subjects find crowns of their own. A gentle and humorous modern fable about imaginative play and kindness in the tradition of classics like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.

A sweet, thoughtful tale of friendship, sharing and play, King Mouse begins when a mouse comes upon a tiny crown in the grass. The mouse puts the crown on his head, and when a bear subsequently comes upon him and asks if he's king, the mouse responds "Yes."

This diminutive monarch settles into his new role very comfortably . . . until a snake comes upon a crown and claims she is queen. The mouse is not amused, especially when one by one the other animals find crowns and claim they are royalty too. But when the bear can't find a crown, King Mouse make a most surprising decision.

This inspired collaboration between an award-winning author and debut picture book illustrator Dena Seiferling is quietly profound in its simplicity and has the feeling of a modern classic.

Author

© Josh Levine
CARY FAGAN has written award-winning books for both adults and children. Cary has won the City of Toronto Book Award, the Jewish Book Committee Prize for Fiction and the Mr. Christie Silver Medal. His numerous kids' books include Mort Ziff Is Not Dead, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books and the picture books King Mouse, Bear Wants to Sing, What Are You Doing, Benny? and Little Blue Chair. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. In addition to his books for children, Cary is the author of six novels and three story collections for adults. He was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family. View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator. View titles by Dena Seiferling

Awards

  • HONOR | 2020
    Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
  • SHORTLIST | 2020
    Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
  • FINALIST | 2019
    Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children
  • FINALIST | 2019
    Governor General's Literary Awards - Children's Literature - Illustration

Praise

One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Kids 2019

PRAISE FOR King Mouse:

“Each page is riotous and breathtaking.” --STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire

“Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today.” --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

“. . . Seiferling creates striking, silvery graphite spreads to illustrate this story. . . . Fagan develops with dry wit the story of the crowns and the way they skew the animals’ judgment, ending the tale on a wistful, affectionate note.” --Publishers Weekly

"The quiet resolution is extremely satisfying [and the art] exude[s] an air of fantasy that perfectly complements this gentle, relatable story" --School Library Journal

“Highly recommended for classroom, public or personal libraries. This book would make an excellent read-aloud with many possibilities for follow-up projects and discussions.” --Resource Links


“In addition to being a quiet browsing book or a one-on-one reading experience, King Mouse would make a lovely read-aloud for storytelling. Highly Recommended.” --CM Magazine

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