Gratitude List

We begin this new year with a bright, blank, new page.  Thinking about keeping lists and diaries and journals made me immediately think of one of my all time favorite chapter books, Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye.

Hermux Tantamoq (pronounced more along the lines of "hair-mew", rather than "her-mux"), is a mouse and watchmaker. His quiet life changes forever when he meets a daredevil aviatrix named Ms. Linka Perflinger. Hermux has a pet ladybug named "Terfle" and dear friend named "Mirrin" who gifts him a sketchbook. Hermux decides to use the sketchbook to keep lists of things he's grateful for. A mouse after my own heart. This is his first entry;

Thank you for friendship most of all. Thank you for cuff links. And for singing larks dressed up like carnival moths. Thank you for dark theaters. For mousetraps even. Thank you for Terfle. For cotton sheets and soft pillows and apple juice. And cheese.

I hope you'll check this lovely read-aloud out. You know, Hermux even has his own website. I guess they must make teeny tiny mouse-paw sized computer keyboards somewhere.

I hope you'll start a list of all the books you want to read and all the things you're grateful for. Like having your very own library card.

Thank you for surprises, for adventure. Thank you for nice mice like Blanda Nergup, for intrigue, for rascals like Nock Noddem, for skeptical policemen. Thank you for elevators and trolleys and newspapers. Thank you for friendly neighbors. For rules to follow and rules to break. And thank you in advance for a good night's sleep.