Marcello is a lonely mouse and has a love for dancing. Bravely risking his life for his passion, he heads off to the cats' Masked Ball and eventually finds acceptance and admiration along with friendship. Exciting adventure, bravery and friendship make this such an interesting read, along with beautiful scenery on every page as Marcello passes ancient, picturesque buildings and cobbled streets in Venice. I would love to be Marcello Mouse! My daughter was very afraid for Marcello when we first read this and then very pleased by the ending. It was delightful to watch the tiny mouse get lost in his dancing and then shock and captivate his audience. I liked the fast pace of the story, the original story line and the magnificent backdrop. Beautiful!
Ideas for activities based on the book:
Make masks
Encourage empathy - put yourself in Marcello's shoes. How might he be feeling? What could he do next?
Write an alternative ending/continue the story/write the story from one of the cat's perspectives/write a letter from Marcello to the cats
Have a masquerade ball!
Explore Venice - where does Marcello live? What kind of place is this? Explore Italian culture/food/langauge
good review and great ideas for activities. I think you should do a review on stick man maybe.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
ReplyDelete