How to Scare a Mouse and Bear

It’s Hallowe’en and Bear is determined to give Mouse a fright. However, no matter what he tried Mouse sees through costume after costume until a mysterious monster knocks on the door…

Bear and Mouse are back for their fourth adventure in ‘How to Scare a Mouse and Bear’ and it is every bit as adorable as the previous titles!

Illustrations start the story before the text kicks in as Mouse is gathering pumpkins and squashes for carving into Hallowe’en lanterns, setting the scene for the spooky season. As Bear announces his intention to scare his friend, Mouse, feisty as ever, declares that he won’t be frightened. Challenge made, Bear appears in a series of Hallowe’en costumes, each mocked by Mouse. The text follows the usual Mouse and Bear book pattern, making it reassuringly familiar and perfect for children to join in with, predicting the rhyming words whilst laughing at Mouse’s responses. Children may well enjoy thinking of other costumes which Bear might try and creating their own responses from Mouse as he appears in them! Readers will delight in the moment where Mouse realises the monster at the door is not Bear and the fact that their scare leaves these two pals cuddled together behind a chair, united once more!

The illustrations are wonderful- big and bold against single colour backgrounds, perfect for little children to focus on and enjoy. The range of expressions on Mouse and Bear’s faces as the story progresses is impressive, offering plenty of moments to pause and wonder how each is feeling at different parts of the story. I have said this before, but I think children would love to make simple glove puppets of Mouse and Bear and use them to re-enact this or any of the stories or to create their own.

I hope there are many more Mouse and Bear books to come!

How to Scare a Mouse and Bear

Ross Collins

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805135012

You can read my review of ‘We Disagree About this Tree’ here.

We Disagree About This Tree

Although Bear and Mouse now appear to be happy sharing both chair and house, it seems that there will always be something they don’t see eye to eye about - and with Christmas on the way, they disagree about how to decorate their Christmas tree. With one wanting too much tinsel and the other favouring flaming candles, how will these two ever manage to enjoy the perfect festive season?

Mouse and Bear have been firm favourites since their first spat over Mouse’s chair and ‘We Disagree About this Tree’ is sure to be every bit as popular. The gentle humour of the story coupled with the fabulous illustrations are sure to have children (and adults!) giggling, but also offers plenty to discuss, showing how good friends can disagree about things, but still keep their friendship alive! Managing disagreements and finding compromise is such an important skill and ultimately, the pair agree that being together is the most important thing!

As with the previous stories, the bouncy rhyming text lends itself perfectly to children creating their own sections. Here, they could imagine other creative ways in which Bear or Mouse might choose to decorate the tree -using candy canes, chocolate shapes, gingerbread men, artificial snow, glitter-and build their own rhyming lines to add to the story. These could be illustrated, using Ross Collins’s fabulous pictures for inspiration.

Each book by Ross Collins is something special- and this festive treat is sure to be enjoyed again and again!

We Disagree About this Tree Ross Collins

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1839944994

Published 6th October 2022