posted on 17 Dec 2020

I’m NOT a MOUSE! by Evgenia Golubeva

I love the way that this book's cover gives the reader so much information. We see an assertive young girl looking sideways at a cat that is licking its lips. A speech bubble is used as the book title and also acts as a warning to the cat that might otherwise eat her! In the background there are more clues that tell us that the story could be set in Seattle.

But it doesn’t really matter where she lives because affectionate nicknames are used all over the world - often by family. The problem is that they aren’t always enjoyed so much as children grow up and this is certainly the case for Olivia, who is fed up with her much loved mum who always calls her ‘ Mouse’. After all, words are very powerful as we see when she is changed into a real mouse when they are out walking together.

This disturbing transformation has happened before, including a memorable birthday party when Olivia is carried up into the sky by a bunch of balloons that she was holding. And then there’s the possible danger of getting hurt when she changes into the tiny creature again as she plays in a football match.

I can see how children would enjoy dreaming up and drawing pictures about other precarious scenarios. One of these is definitely proximity to that hungry cat who seems to forget that it is a much loved pet as soon as Olivia changes into delicious looking mousey snack. Her outrage is clear as we turn the page to a dramatic double page spread that shows her shouting ‘I’m NOT a MOUSE’ - we can almost hear her frustration. But she is clearly a problem-solver because she has a cunning plan to just ignore her mum in future when she calls her by her nickname. The message gets through and mum calls her by her real name instead.

Olivia is not the only victim of embarrassing name calling by family - Lyla has turned into a pumpkin and Husam has turned into a little sweet pea. When she goes to the park she sees even more surprises as the place is packed with a ‘Treasure’, a ‘Cutie Bear’, a ‘ Superstar’ and many more. Plenty of opportunities for discussion here about what family members might call their children, and hopefully more drawings as a result. Of course adults use embarrassing pet names between themselves too ...

Names are so important in helping to define identity. Being comfortable with a nickname is part of this and I can see how this delightful story could be a starting point to talk about kindness, empathy and developing self-confidence.

Once again, Childs Play ( International) has produced a multi layered inclusive picture book that will be very much enjoyed by young children. You might not find it on the shelves of mainstream bookshops but this and many other excellent titles can be ordered from their website. I strongly recommend that you spend some time browsing.

 

Karen Argent

December 2020