Brave Mouse

by Morgan, Michaela; Cartlidge, Michelle

• ISBN13: 9781847801104
• ISBN10: 1847801102
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-24
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Summary

Lots of things frighten Little Mouse: dark shadows, bright lights, loud noises. Sometimes he just doesn't want to do things the other little mice do, and they tease him and call him names. A charming story of how Little Mouse learns that standing up for yourself, and being able to say 'NO!' to your friends, can make you a very Brave Mouse indeed!

Excerpts

Little Mouse was scared of all sorts of things.

Dark shadows scared him. Bright lights scared him. Loud noises scared him. And silence scared him too.

One day Mum and Dad said, "We're going out for a while. The babysitter will look after you until we get back."

Little Mouse did not like this one bit. His ears began to droop. His whiskers began to twitch. A big tear started to run down his nose.

Then a little voice inside him said,

'They'll be back soon. Wait and see. You're a brave mouse - as brave as brave can be!'

And Little Mouse took a deep breath and waved bye-bye.

And later they DID come back and they hugged him and they loved him and they stroked his little ears.

"What a big brave mouse you are!" said Mum.

The first time Little Mouse went to the swimming pool, he didn't like it one bit.

He stood and he shivered. His ears drooped. His whiskers quivered.

The water looked cold and deep. It smelled funny and everything was so LOUD.

Then a little voice inside him said,

'Perk up your whiskers. Dip in a toe. You're a brave, brave mouse so have a go!'

And Little Mouse did have a go. And he loved it! He splished and he splashed and he sploshed until it was time to go home.

Little Mouse did all sorts of brave things.

'Go on, try a bit. Take a little bite. You're a brave, brave mouse. It might taste all right!'

'You're a brave, brave mouse - open wide. Let the dentist peek inside.'

'It's only a shadow in the night. If you reach out, you can switch on the light.'

One day Little Mouse went to the playground. There was a big shiny slide, a wibbly-wobbly bridge, and a bouncing duck. The children shouted to Little Mouse...

"Swing high like me!"

"Slide fast like me!"

"Walk across like me!"

"If you don't do it, you'll be a scaredy-mouse!"

But Little Mouse didn't really want to climb high or slide fast.

Then the little voice inside him said,

'Are you going to have a go? You ARE a brave, brave mouse you know.'

And Brave Mouse said...

"No!"

Brave Mouse stood up tall and bravely, very bravely made up his own mind.

"It's the bouncing duck for me!" he said.

Brave Mouse played happily, and as he played, he sang a little song...

"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Sometimes I try new things, sometimes I won't.

I can be brave, the bravest of all.

I can brush my whiskers and stand up tall.

I can speak up, I can squeak up, so look at me.

I am Brave Mouse.

Brave Mouse, that's me!"