Wordless Books

Mouse Numbers

Jim Arnosky


Mouse Numbers, a very first counting book, is a small hardback that is companion to Mouse Letters (as well as Mouse Shapes and Mouse Colors). Although it is principally a ‘numbers’ book, it is also very much a wordless story since there is a clear narrative element, too.

Spread from Mouse Numbers

The tale features a plucky young mouse with a large purple umbrella, who emerges from his home under a rock to set off cheerfully on a trip to the beach. En route he meets various challenges and mishaps, all of which involve things to count.

He bravely overcomes every obstacle until at last he arrives at the seashore. But waiting in the water is a thoroughly nasty surprise…

Spread from Mouse Numbers

The only solution is to head home fast. As he runs back to his cosy hole, the frightened mouse counts down from 10 to 1 while also, sadly, stubbing his toe and tumbling down some steps in his haste.

Spread from Mouse Numbers

This charming story is packed with incident and humour, and the book’s delicate ink-and-watercolour paintings perfectly capture the mouse’s fluctuating emotions.