From Publishers Weekly
King-Smith's (Babe) latest may leave fans feeling less than satisfied. The story shows glimmers of King-Smith's familiar oddball humor but overall feels hastily cobbled together. Bachelor Charlie Muffin is a mouse farmer, inventor and taxidermist who lives in a house full of stuffed pets. One day, the woman of his dreams, Merry Day, turns up in his barn and Charlie engages in a campaign to win her heart and hand by breeding a green mouse. With Merry's encouragement, he perseveres despite repeated failure, trying new tactics (mating a blue mouse with a yellow mouse; feeding his whiskered charges clover and other green foods) and eventually succeeds. To his credit, the author successfully carries off the taxidermy sub-theme; what could have been macabre in less skillful hands emerges as engagingly eccentric. It's a likable enough tale with some memorable lines ("His mouth was full of meat, but his mind was full of Merry"). But there's little drama to fuel it other than the Grand Mouse Championship Show (which Charlie's pea-green mouse wins handily) and a subsequent attempted theft of the tiny champion, and the ending trails off in an anticlimax. Final artwork not seen by PW. Ages 8-10.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6Another lighthearted, gently humorous novel thats filled with information about animals and an understanding of human emotions. Charlie Muffin is a mouse farmer, a taxidermist, and a tinkerer. He has fashioned a large mechanical guard dog and a security system to protect his mouse-breeding operation. He is happy with his solitary life, until he meets Merry Day. She likes mice and admires Charlies mechanical wonders. Looking over his stock, the young woman proposes that he attempt to breed a green mouse. Although Charlie is sure that it is impossible, love conquers all, and together Charlie and Merry attend the Grand Mouse Championship on their honeymoon, where they win Best in Show with Adam, the first green mouse. Alas, he is also the last green mouse as the breeding for another is never successful. Still, Adam enjoys a happy existence and lives long enough to become a favorite of Charlie and Merrys daughter. After his death, he is mounted and displayed on the familys mantel to be admired by all. The characters are delightful. The story is fun and interesting. The writing is beautiful but not easy and young readers are expected to put forth the effort needed to enjoy the book. When read aloud, the words trip off the tongue. Black-and-white sketches mirror the warmth of the text.Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
