Mouse Paint
by Ellen Stoll Walsh
One day three white mice discover three jars of paint – red blue and yellow. But what happens when they splash in the colors mixing the red and blue? Or dance in the blue and yellow?
Reading Tips for Little Learners
Read with fun in your voice
Build vocabulary by focusing on and talking about new words.
Connect the story to your child's world.
Ask your child questions about the book and encourage them to ask questions.
Make reading part of your everyday routine.
When you read the words, whenever possible, act them out too!
Hold the book so your child can see the pictures.
Make the plot come alive by discussing the illustrations.
Reading Everywhere!
Make text come alive around your home by using a sticky note, index card, or extra piece of paper to label something red.
Hang the label near something red and discuss the letters and their meaning with your child. Labeling helps children learn that letters come together to make words and creates a print rich environment in your home.
Pre-Reading Building Block
In the book Mouse Paint, the three mice explore different colors. Play “I Spy” with your child, based on the colors seen in the book. For example, looking around your kitchen you find a red apple. Say, “I spy, with my little eye, something that is red.” Explain to your child that the word “spy” means see or spot. Wait while your child spots the red apple. Continue playing with all the colors in Mouse Paint.
Let's Play
Explore the idea of camouflage with your child. Camouflage is where animals blend in with their surroundings so they are not seen by other living things. Using toy animals, place the animal on a similar colored background. For example, a brown horse might camouflage with a brown floor. Encourage your child to come up with their own examples.
