Amos & Boris [Hardcover]

Amos the mouse and Boris the whale: a devoted pair of friends with nothing at all in common, except good hearts and a willingness to help their fellow mammal. They meet after Amos sets out to sea in his homemade boat, theRodent, and soon finds himself in extreme need of rescue. Enter Boris. But there will come a day, long after Boris has gone back to a life of whaling about and Amos has gone back to his life of mousing around, when the tiny mouse must find a way to rescue the great whale.

The tender yet comical story of this friendship is recorded in text and pictures that are a model of rich simplicity. Here, with apparent ease and concealed virtuosity, Caldecott medalist William Steig brings two winning heroes to life.

Amos & Borisis a 1971 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, Notable Children's Book of the Year, and Outstanding Book of the Year.

William Steig(1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, includingShrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based; the Caldecott Medal-winnerSylvester and the Magic Pebble; The Caldecott Honor bookThe Amazing Bone; and the Newbury Honor BooksAbel's IslandandDoctor De Soto. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, includingThe Lonely Ones,Male/Female, andOur Miserable Life.

Animal Exploration
Begin a discussion about the characteristics of mammals (e.g., mammals nurse their young, mammals are warm-blooded, mammals have hair). Ask students to compare and contrast the characteristics of Amos and Boris, and to determine if they are mammals. Then have students choose a mammal or an ocean animal to research. If students have access to the Internet, Web sites such as the Monterey Bay
Aquarium's E-Quarium and the Birmingham Zoo will offer them information on a wide range of animal
species. Students should produce a written lc(