Part 2
Frederick
- The plot of Frederick is a family of field mice getting ready for winter by gathering food
so they could hibernate, but one of the field mice wasn’t gathering food. When he was
asked about why he wasn’t helping, he said that he was gathering sun rays, colors, and
words for the winters. As winter grew on, the mice grew weary and asked for what
Frederick had gathered, Frederick entertained them by having them imagine the warmth
of sun rays and the family thought they could actually feel the sun ray on their skin.
When they ask about the colors he had gathered, Frederick describes the colors and again
the family is able to imagine the colors. When Fredericks family finally asks about the
words he had gathered, Frederick tells them a poem about the four seasons and how lucky
they are to have four seasons. He talks about the four mice who make the different
seasons and what each one does. The family praises Frederick for being a poet and his
family recognizes the value in what Frederick had gathered.
- The setting of the story is important because it establishes the fact that the farmers have
moved away and the family can no longer rely on the farmers' supplies through the
winter. The setting also establishes that the family has to stay in one spot all throughout
winter as well as how cold it will be throughout the winter that they won’t be able to find
any more supplies than what they have gathered throughout the year.
- The main character of the story is Frederick and at the beginning he seems like a lazy
mouse trying to get out of doing work, but at the end he shows the joy that words can
bring.
- The theme of this story is to show how art can be almost as important to living as food,
because without art and joy you are simply surviving. The theme could also be
interpreted as not judging someone for being lazy because they could actually be doing a
lot.
- The style of Frederick is a picture book and the voice and aesthetics are both very simple
and neutral to the actions of the characters.
- The Point of View of this story is third person.
- The Cultural Implications in Frederick have a lot to do with how artists are treated in our
society. They are often treated as lesser or with the stereotypical “starving artist” view. I
think this story is commenting on the fact that artists of all varieties put out a lot that
allows people to not just survive, but to enjoy life.
Part 3
This book could act as a window into the possibilities brought about by good teamwork or
empathy. When I was a kid I didn’t do very any sports or feel like I was ever on any kind of
team, so this book could have been a window for what it could be like to have a team who
constantly has your back. This also is a window into a fantastical world with witches and
dragons and talking animals and allows the reader to imagine the magic of this world is part of
their own life. For many kids this could hold up a mirror to their own empathy or a time their
friends may have helped them when their own “broom” broke. This book can be a sliding glass
door for children learning to be both empathetic and brave. The empathy from the witch caring
for all who asked for help is something children may not experience and that is something a lot
of kids can learn to emulate. The bravery the witch shows while facing the dragon s something a
lot of adults and children alike should learn. Learning from the witch and her friends can help
them learn to step up to be empathetic, brave, and tenacious.
