Matthew's Dream

Critique:
Genre: Matthew, the talking mouse in this story, has dreams, hopes, and wishes. He can talk and express his desires. He can also paint, all things which normal mice in this world cannot do.
Plot: This story has the different characteristics of plot that are necessary to move the story

Show More

forward, and make it so that it easy to follow. The conflict is that Matthew's family does not have a lot of money, and he does not know what he wants to do when he grows up. The climax occurs after Matthew's dream when the shapes began to change and he hears familar music. In the resolution, he decides to be a painter and he eventually becomes married to the girl mouse in his dreams.
Media: collage

Show Less

Leo Lionni really showed his love for museums in this book. Little Matthew Mouse dreams of being a painter after visiting an art museum on a 'field mouse" trip. Matthew fulfills his dream, sells some of his paintings, and has one hung in the museum.

In this beautifully illustrated book, Lionni shows

Show More

how modern art has influenced his style for this book. I love the reinterpreted museum master pieces that include mice as the subjects at the beginning of the book.

Show Less

K-2. Great for inspiration when students are given a project. Exemplifies how creativity is important and one should make something that makes him feel happy or whatever emotion he or she wants to feel when looking at a piece of art.

Matthew the mouse dreamed of being a painter and his dream came true! This teaches childrent o pursue their goals and try as hard as they can to get what they want in life. I enjoyed the moral of this story. This is a great book for 1st or 2nd graders.

Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni (1995) is about a mouse named Matthew whose parents ask him what he wants to be when he grows up. On a class field trip to a museum, he was very interested in the paintings. He met a girl mouse named Nicoletta. That night he had a strange dream that he a Nicoletta were

Show More

walking through a painting. When he woke up he realized that he wanted to be a painter. So he becomes a painter and marries Nicoletta.

I would recommend this book to elementary teachers.

Show Less

Matthew is a poor mouse, that lives in a corner of an attic. His parents want him to grow up to be a doctor so one day he can take care of them. However, Matthew isn't sure what he wants. Then one day, in an art museum, he meets Nicoletta and has a dream of vivid colors and shapes. He awakes to

Show More

realize he was meant to be an artist; and he becomes just that.

Show Less

This is a great book about teaching students to dream. It is about a poor mouse who decides he wants to become a painter. With hard work he is able to accomplish this dream and become a famous painter. This book can teach students that they can be anything they want to be they just have to work

Show More

hard. The book has great illustrations and would be best suited for first through third graders.

Show Less

GENRE: This is a great example of a modern fantasy book, because the story is very believable and relevant to readers' lives, except that there are mice talking and interacting with one another, in very human ways. The author creates a great story line, which many students can relate to; what to be

Show More

and why? Matthew follows his dream and his heart and because of it, he becomes a succesful artist. Lionni uses mice to provide readers with a positive message about life and love, as well.

CHARACTER: Matthew is a great example of a dynamic character. He is at the center of the plot and without him, the story would be incomplete. He also goes through a change by the end of the book. He starts out not knowing what he wants to do with his life and after discovering a passion for art, he becomes a wonderful painter. He listens to his heart, instead of what his family tells him and ends up becoming very happy.

ART/MEDIA: collage

Show Less

This is an easy picture book. It is a work of fiction. It is an inspirational book that young children would enjoy. The message in the story is to go after your dreams.

A cute book for older students that talks about a journey that a mouse goes on when he has a dream.

This book is about a poor mouse who decides to become a painter after he visits the art museum. He paints and eventually becomes a great artist. It is written to inspire youngpeople to have dreams and to reach for their goals.

Young children have dreams of being all kinds of things when they grow up. A poor mouse wants to become a painter after he visits a museum and he does become a good artist. All children have a dream and all you have to do is make it happen.

This book is meant to inspire readers to dream, and dream big. The story is about a mouse named Matthew. He and his family happen to be very poor. He begins to dream of being a painter and not living a poor life anymore. He follows his dream and helps it to come true.

Media: Collage

Genre: This book is a good example of fantasy because the characters are mice that live in the attic but take on human characteristics. Matthew is a mouse who has parents that want him to become rich and he finally decides after a trip to the museum that he wants to become a painter.

Show More

Setting: The setting of the museum is crucial to the story because it is where Matthew meets Nicoletta and discovers that he sees his dreams in color and creates paintings from those dreams.

Show Less

Matthew is an only child, and lives with his mom and dad. He isn't very wealthy but is content. One day he takes a trip to a museum and is filled with delight as he views the art. He then realizes his passion: art. He dreams of becoming an artist. He works hard to fulfill his mission on satisfying

Show More

his dreams, and they come true! Matthew's tale may parallel Lionni's experience, as he too dreamed of becoming an artist at a very young age. Matthew's tale is inspiring and uplight, especially for the younger crowd. His story creates a feeling of optimism for the future of young readers. This would be a great book to share with a theme of establishing and achieving hopes and dreams.

Show Less

This is a very cute story! You just wouldn't expect a mouse who lives in an attic to visit a museum, much less be so attracted to it that he becomes an artist! Love it! :) The collage illustrations in this book are fun, and the use of color adds to richness of this children's book.

This book is about a mouse who is the only child and lives in the attic with his parents. They do not come from much and have big dreams for Matthew. One day after visiting a museum he is inspired to become a painter, which he does. He becomes very famous. This book send an inspiring message that

Show More

you can be anything you want to be or do anything you want to do.

Show Less

I really enjoyed this book. I like the art work in it. It is so unique. I also like how each one of his stories there is a lesson to be learned in the end.

Amazing book to show students that some times someone can find themselves when they least expect it.

Lionni strikes again. Marvelous, thoughtful, inspiring books for families willing to slow down to appreciate life, art, joy, and friendship. Turn off the screens, don't try to read a whole stack of picture books in one day, let silence find you so you can let your dream approach, then heed

Show More

Matthew's example and follow it.


(If you read my reviews, you know I don't always follow my own advice. But it's terrific books like this that remind me to do so at least sometimes. ;)

Show Less