This delightful picture book, written by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, relates the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie. The story takes the reader through a young child's day, showcasing the mouse's antics and the consequences of his requests. It is a great introduction to the 'If You Give...' series and is perfect for beginning readers and story time.
The story follows Ferdinand, a bull who would rather sit under a cork tree and smell flowers than engage in the aggressive behavior of other bulls. Despite his peaceful nature, Ferdinand is mistakenly chosen for the bullfights in Madrid. However, when he enters the bull ring, he sits down to smell the flowers in the women's hair, disappointing the matador and other fighters. The book has been celebrated for its message of nonviolence and pacifism since its publication in 1936.
While the What Next team is having a holiday, take this journey with our colleagues over at Decoder Ring. What Next will be back in your feed on Monday.
Adults have a long history of trying to find morals and lessons in children’s literature. But what happens when a seemingly innocent book about a boy and a hungry mouse becomes fodder for the culture wars? Over the last decade, Laura Joffe Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie has been adopted by some on the right as a cautionary tale about government welfare. In this episode, we explore the origins of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the history of adults extracting unintended meaning from children’s books, and try to figure out how this particular kid’s book became a Republican battle cry.
This episode was written by Cheyna Roth. It was edited by Katie Shepherd and Evan Chung. It was produced by Sofie Kodner. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.
In this episode, you’ll hear from author Laura Numeroff, book critic Bruce Handy, economist Rebecca Christie and former journalist Max Ehrenfreund.
If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com
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