Module 2: Amos & Boris

"Amos & Boris" by William Steig

Book Summary:  

Amos, a mouse, sets out on an ocean voyage. While on his voyage, trouble befalls him and he ends up stranded in the ocean. Luckily, a whale named Boris comes to his rescue. Boris lets Amos ride on his back till he gets close to the coast. They part ways as friends thinking that they will never see each other again. However, one day when a nasty storm sweeps Boris onto the shore, only Amos and his friends can help him. This story shows that no matter how different you are, you can still be friends.

APA Reference of Book:

Steig, W. (1971). Amos & Boris. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Impressions:

I loved this book! The language William Steig used was so descriptive and beautiful. People may think that some of the words are too difficult for kids, but I think this is the type of language kids need to be exposed to. If you just break down the sentences and start a dialogue with them about what they think it means, then they would understand it. I love the theme of how friendship knows no limits and that friends are always there for each other. I also think it is great for kids to see that even small creatures can do big things. 

Professional Review:

“Deftly proportioned and disarmingly matter-of-fact, the story of a friendship between Amos, an adventurous mouse who goes to sea "full of wonder, full of enterprise, and full of love for life," and Boris, the accommodating whale who rescues Amos from drowning and carries him home on his back. The friends part then, but years later when Boris is washed ashore by hurricane Yetta, Amos has a chance to reciprocate: he fetches two goodhearted elephants to push the whale back out to sea. Amos' feat is perhaps less satisfying than that of Aesop's mouse who gnaws the lion's ropes without any help from his oversized friends, but there is no question that Steig's affectionately witty pictures and perfectly complementary narration make this a durable picture book friendship.”

Amos & Boris [Review of the book Amos & Boris by William Steig]. (1971, October 1).  Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/william-steig/amos-boris/

Library Uses: For the library, you could read this for story time, but also have a short activity following. The activity will be that students make friendship bracelets for a close friend. This could be with string and beads, or it could be a paper bracelet that they can personalize and decorate for their friend. On the paper friendship bracelet they could always write one thing they love about their friend.