I love Denise Fleming’s Lunch for so many reasons. The text is so simple you can read it as is for younger crowds, or elaborate and turn it into a mystery for older crowds. For the older children, I ask them what colored food Mouse could be eating next. “What could Mouse eat that is white?” Potatoes, macaroni, bread. chips, cereal, rice, etc. Here’s a little chart you can use:

Color	Food
white	cauliflower, tofu, coconut, onion, turnip
orange	nectarines, papayas, cantaloupe, mango, carrots
yellow	spaghetti, squash, honey, corn, lemongrass, pineapple
green	asparagus, avocado, celery, bok choy, broccoli, cucumber, edamame, fennel, honeydew, kale, spinach
blue	berries, potatoes
purple	eggplant, cabbage, plum, blackberries
pink	watermelon, rhubarb, grapefruit
red	berries, apple, cherries, cranberries

I like to pass out the food pieces to each child, and use my lapboard and a Mouse puppet. When the children bring up all the white colored food, Mouse “eats” all the food. (I swipe the pieces using Mouse’s mouth into my lap and they disappear.) The kids laugh aloud and say, “AGAIN” every time.

Here’s a video:

For more flannel ideas check out Miss Meg’s Storytime, or Flannel Friday.