Three Pebbles and a Song

Apparently the people who published this book never read Frederick by Leo Lionni, since it makes the exact same point (and even also uses mice as the characters, which makes one wonder, what is it about mice? Surely other animals prepare industriously for winter?). This book has wonderful illustrations and the text flows along very nicely until we get to the indoor scenes at the end. There, I think the dialogue and paintings both go downhill and the point is somewhat forced. If you are looking to buy, get Frederick instead. It has more staying power (about the importance of art in enriching life). This isn't a substitute.

My wife enjoys this book, but it seriously bothers me. The mice are trying to prepare for winter, Moses does nothing helpful. The author, in apparent contempt for those who would work dilligently for their own future, uses words like "yip" and "squeal" for when the family urges Moses to contribute to the family's survival. I gave the book 4 stars because of the amazing illustrations: fortunately when reading to toddlers it's not that hard to make up a good story to go with them.

Most of the people, whether they are young or old, are going to think of the fable about the ant and the grasshopper when they read "Three Pebbles and a Song," but author Eileen Spinelli has a different point to make. Autumn has come and everyone knows the snow is coming soon so Moses, a young mouse, is told by his mother: "We need food, warm things for the nest. Gathering's best." That last point is echoed in turn by his father and his sister, but while the rest of his family is fathering soft rags, corn, crumbs, and raisin, Moses is distracted by the wind rustling through the corn stalks and three pebbles from the nearby creek. So when the snow comes and Moses has to scurry inside the family's nest for the winter, he has nothing to contribute. Or does he?Of course he does, because there are many ways in which someone can contribute to the happiness of their family. Spinelli's point that play can be just as valuable as work, provided there is a combination of both rather than the exclusion of one or the other, is something I consider to be an important lesson (and one that might be of equal value to adults as well as children). I consider my work to be play; if I thought it was really work, I would not want to do it. The paintings by S.D. Schindler do a nice job of capturing the change of the seasons from autumn to winter, although I especially like the overhead shot of Moses gathering pebbles from the creek. "Three Pebbles and a Song" should surprise young readers with its final point, given where it starts, but Spinelli and Schindler are setting us up.