Learn English with Cat and Mouse Go to School! – A Picture Book for Teaching School Vocabulary and Routines

Summary of the Book

In this engaging picture book, Cat and Mouse experience their very first day at school. They meet their teacher, Mrs Bloom, discover classroom objects, and take part in different activities: writing, drawing, playing in the playground (with games such as hide-and-seek, plus fun onomatopoeias and sound effects), and looking at a world map. At lunchtime, they share what’s inside their lunchboxes. The day ends with a warm reminder of the joy of making new friends.

Culture and Vocabulary

The book introduces children to Anglo-Saxon school culture. While many elements are universal (first day of school, meeting classmates, recess), others are more specific: addressing the teacher as “Miss” and having a lunchbox—common in English schools. This offers young learners a first intercultural experience, inviting them to compare school life in England and in their country.

School objects: paper, ruler, schoolbag, eraser, pencil, pen, glue, textbook, pencil case, exercise book, colored pencils
School places & times: school, desk, whiteboard, playground, lunchtime, break time
Action verbs: greet, spell, sit down, take, draw, play, count, go to the playground, write, look, eat
Polite expressions: Good morning, Sorry Miss, Thank you, Enjoy your meal
Classroom phrases: Take your textbook and a pen, Go to your desk and sit down, Do you have everything in your schoolbag?, Let’s write the alphabet, Can you spell your name?, Well done
Food vocabulary: cheese, lettuce, milk, biscuits, sausage, yogurt, pasta, pizza
Onomatopoeias & sound effects: KNOCK! KNOCK!, RING, tweet tweet, squeak, woof, oink, ooh ooh, aah aah
Geography words: map, World, Europe, England, France, Italy
Numbers: one to ten

Grammar and Structures

• Simple present: Today is the first day of school for Cat and Mouse. / I love school! – stating facts, likes, and opinions.
• Greetings & introductions: Good morning, children! My name is Mrs Bloom.
• Questions with Do you…?: Do you have everything in your schoolbag?
• Polite imperatives: Take your textbook and a pen, please.
• Negation + instructions: Don’t worry. Go to your desk and sit down, please!
• Modal can for ability/requests: Can you spell your name, please?
• Future with be going to: We are going to learn to write.
• Possessives: your schoolbag
• Plurals & countable nouns: books, pencils, rulers
• Spelling practice: C-A-T, M-O-U-S-E
• Expressing similarity: So do I!
• Exclamations & encouragements: Well done!, Sorry Miss!

Teaching Suggestions

Before Reading

• Show the cover and ask prediction questions: Who are Cat and Mouse? Where are they going?
• Introduce school supplies using real objects or flashcards.
• Teach essential classroom instructions (Take, Sit down, Open your book).
• Review numbers 1–10 orally.

During Reading

• Pause to identify and name objects in the illustrations.
• Have children repeat polite expressions (Good morning, Thank you, Sorry Miss) with correct intonation.
• Act out classroom instructions together.
• Invite students to spell their own names, just like Cat and Mouse.

After Reading

• Matching game: match flashcards of school supplies.
• Role play: act out the first classroom scene (greeting, instructions, responses).
• Food sorting: classify lunchbox items into “healthy” vs “sometimes foods.”
• Map activity: locate England, France, Italy on a simple map.
• Writing task: In my schoolbag I have… (list or short paragraph).

Mini Grammar Lesson

• Practice Do you have…? with classroom objects.
• Reinforce So do I for common likes (I like pizza. So do I!).
• Use the simple present with characters’ actions.
• Practice colors + possessives (my red pencil, my blue exercise book).

Cross-Curricular Connections

Civic Education: greetings, thanking, apologizing in another language.
Art: create or decorate a lunchbox or schoolbag.
Songs & Chants: Hello Song, Good Morning Song, or counting songs (Super Simple Songs).
Geography/EMI: explore a world map and locate countries.
Math: count to ten in English.
Science/Health Education: talk about lunchbox food and healthy choices.
Language & Literacy: spelling names, reading short words.
PE: play hide-and-seek in English during recess.
Music: sing The Alphabet Song.

Project Ideas

Class Project: “My Schoolbag in English”
Each student designs a paper schoolbag and fills it with illustrated supplies labeled in English. The final work can be displayed in the classroom.

Explore Other Books on School
Read Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins or Spot Goes to School by Eric Hill to expand vocabulary and compare different school stories.

Conclusion

Learn English with Cat and Mouse Go to School! is a fun and effective resource for teaching English to young learners. With relatable characters and a realistic school-day storyline, it provides a natural way to learn classroom vocabulary, routines, and polite expressions.

The grammar structures are simple and age-appropriate, while the teaching possibilities are endless: role-plays, spelling games, songs, art projects, and cross-curricular links. This book is a valuable tool for developing listening and speaking skills, early reading, and cultural awareness—while keeping the joy of communication at the heart of learning English.