I have read several William Steig titles to my classes over the years. Shrek, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and Brave Irene have been some favorites. But upon the suggestion of my nephew, whose father is a fisherman and loves the sea, I read Amos & Boris aloud to my third graders. It is a beautifully written story about the unlikely friendship between a mouse and a whale. I asked students why it was unusual for a whale and a mouse to be friends, and they wisely pointed out that not only are they very different in size, they would not normally meet since whales live in the ocean.
But when Amos falls off a boat far from shore and is rescued by a large whale named Boris, they become friends for life. Amos promises that if Boris ever needs his help someday, he will be there for him. Boris doubts that Amos, being so small and living on land, will never be able to help him. Until one day when Hurricane Yetta strikes and leaves Boris beached on the shore. It is Amos that finds a way to help Boris back into the ocean.
I was pleased to see that students made the text-to-text connection to The Lion and the Mouse. A couple of students even made the connection to a book we read a few weeks ago called Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek. Great work, third graders!
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