Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban

First line:

"The tramp was big and squarely built, and he walked with the rolling stride of the long road, his steps too big for the little streets of the little town."

Description:

"'What are we, Papa?' the toy mouse child asked his father. 'I don't know,' the father answered. 'We must wait and see.'

So begins the story of a tin father and son who dance under a Christmas tree until they break the ancient clockwork rules and are themselves broken.

Thrown away, then rescued from a trash can adn repaired by a tramp, they set out on a perilous odyssey to follow the child's dream of a family and a place of their own.

What happens to the mouse and his child in their search for the magnificent doll house, the plush elephant, and the tin seal they had known in the toyshop is a tale to remember and return to." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

Although it's been many years since I had read this book, I still found it as poignant, funny and moving as I did when I was a child. I enjoyed the interactions between the tin mouse and his son in their quest to find a home and a family.

Date read: 6/16/2009
Book #: 34
Challenge: Childhood Favourites Reading Challenge
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genre: Children's Literature

Publisher: Avon Books
Year: 1967
# of pages: 182
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page

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