Kid Konnection: Big Mean Mike

Mike is a big, tough dog and he wants to be sure everyone knows it.  He wears spikes on his collar.  He drives a big, loud car and likes to rev the engine to be sure everyone sees it.  One day, he goes to buy combat boots to make his feet look bigger and meaner.  When he puts his purchase in his trunk he discovers a sweet little bunny there.  He gets that bunny out of there as quick as he can – after all, something soft and fuzzy like that could destroy his image.  He keeps finding more and more bunnies in his car so he avoids it for a while.

A few days later Mike goes to a Monster Truck Show and finds more bunnies in his car when he gets there.  He’s worried they’ll ruin his image but he’s also worried about what will happen to the bunnies so he takes them into the show with him.  He discovers that he likes having someone to watch the show with and that they’re actually a lot of fun.  When the other dogs make fun of him, the bunnies stand up for Mike and he comes to realize that it doesn’t really matter what the other dogs think – the bunnies are his friends.

Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen is an adorable picture book to share with young children.  They’ll see through Mike’s tough exterior right away and laugh at his silliness.  They’ll enjoy the terrific illustrations by Scott Magoon and should learn a thing or two along the way.  Here’s what a page spread looks like:

Mike is such a great character – he projects a tough exterior but he’s really a marshmallow deep down inside.  He can’t bear to harm the bunnies even when he doesn’t want to be seen with them.

Big Mean Mike is a great picture book to share with young children.  They’ll enjoy the story and the illustrations and will learn some important lessons.

For more children’s books reviews, go to Booking Mama’s feature, Kid Konnection. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, leave a comment as well as a link on her site.

Review copy provided by Candlewick Press. I am an Indiebound Affiliate.