When I was in fifth grade in the little town of Post Falls, Idaho, a teacher had us read the following poem:
I think mice
Are rather nice;
Their tails are long,
Their faces small;
They haven’t any
Chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run about
The house at night.
They nibble things
They shouldn’t touch,
And no one seems
To like them much.
But I think mice
Are nice.
~Rose Fyleman
As a reader of a few books about mice, my 10-year old self found it wildly charming. Stuart Little with his tiny car? Ralph S. Mouse and his motorcycle and ping-pong ball helmet? See? Charm.
I don’t love all mouse characters in books. Reepicheep, for instance, from Prince Caspian of the Chronicles of Narnia, I find somewhat annoying, although he does add some humor to the book, which is my second favorite in the series. (My favorite is the Horse and His Boy in case you were dying to know.)
So here are some fun books on mice. Have you read any of these? Do you have other suggestions?
The Ralph Mouse Series by Beverly Cleary:
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Runaway Ralph
Ralph S. Mouse
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien
The Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon (This is the first book in a series)
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp (This is also the first book in a series)
Mouse House by Rumer Godden (I haven’t read this one, but it looks adorable)
Abel’s Island by William Steig (This is the author of Shrek)
Cheerful: A Picture Story and Something for Christmas by Palmer Brown
The Pippa Mouse series by Betty D. Boegehold
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem
The Attic Mice by Ethel Pochocki
The Tale of Two Bad Mice and The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Yes, I know this is about a bunny, but there is a mouse that pops up in every spread)