Customer Reviews

Church Mice at Christmas (Church Mice Series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Young children like these stories, but older kids and adults get the most out of them. Most of the humour is in the fantastically detailed funny pictures, which clash delightfully with the serious-sounding text. This is my favourite of the Church Mice stories. Some wonderful scenes include the Mice raffling-off Sampson (the Church Cat) to raise money for their party, their hopeless attempts at carol-singing for the same purpose, and the burglar dressed as Santa (he has a bag on which he has crossed out "Swag" and written "presents"). Also look out for the bizarre Christmas window displays in town.

If you can't find them here, many of Graham Oakley's books are now in print through Amazon.co.uk

This is a book for re-reading over and over. Each time you look at it you find more wonderful detail. Church Mice are for life, not just for Christmas.

The Child is now twenty and his children's books are for the most part packed away. But we all agreed The Church Mice at Christmas must join The Night Before Christmas, Dickens A Christmas Carol, and Tolkien's Father Christmas Letters on a special shelf of family favorites to be read out loud each year during the holidays. Oakley captures the spirit of the season in the antics of the Church Cat who gamely indulges elaborate schemes contrived by the band of resourceful Church Mice. The Mice are determined to raise money for a Christmas party and after many set-backs, manage to contact a real Father Christmas. To appreciate the range of humor in this delightful book, family members must take parts, create voices to match each character, and even act out the most exciting bits. A must read for adults who enjoy the humor of P.G. Wodehouse. Review by: M. Kelly

As a writer of children's book myself, I was enchanted when I found this book by Graham Oakley in a used book store. I had not read anything by him before. Now I am actively seeking his books. 'The Church Mice at Christmas' is the hilarious story of church mice who are inventing schemes to finance a Christmas party. The text is charming, but the pictures are fabulous. His attention to detail is equal to Graeme Base, author of 'The Eleventh Hour' and 'Animalia'. The pictures have so many bits of humor dabbed about, you have to look carefully or you might miss a real good laugh. This is truly a 10 stars book! It was published in 1980. Hopefully it will be printed again soon.

Another classic story by author/artist Graham Oakley. The church mice books are his best, the artwork is priceless (and hilarious!). Check his other books out too. They are great.

I first came across this book when my daughters were very young. We checked it out of the library and read it over and over again. The inventive approach to getting things done by the mice must have inspired me because I conveniently lost the book, paid the library for it, found it and kept it. I'm so pleased to be able to get some of their other books now because I've looked for them for years without success. Now that I have a grandchild, he will need to hear these tales too.

I definately have to agree with the 5 star rating that other people are giving this book. It is quite complex. However I was reading them in grade 1 so how complex is that. I'm trying to remember exactly how the story goes because I read them like 13 years ago. Needless to say I love this series, my brother in-law is about my age and he remembers reading these books (Church Mice at Christmas was his very favorite). I've been searching for this series for a year now since my son was born because I would like to own the whole set so he can read them. Lastly if anyone at all knows where I can get these in hardcover I would greatly appreciate it! I wish they would reprint them. My brother in-law does, too. My email address is emeraldeire@hotmail.com

Very young children or children who are unable to focus on detail won't get much out of this book (hence the four-star rating), but for the rest of us, it's a winner. The dialogue is sometimes straight out of P. G. Wodehouse, and my children laugh themselves nearly sick over it, proving that you don't need to know the cultural background for such dialogue (for example,"Ta-ta, old sausage") for it to work. The treatment of the felonious Father Christmas is sympathetic and serves as a good counterpoint to the reality of the criminal-justice system in the U.S. My husband and I bought this book for ourselves long before we had children, and we find new bits of humor each time through--as do our sons, presently aged five and six.

Very young children or children who are unable to focus on detail won't get much out of this book (hence the four-star rating), but for the rest of us, it's a winner. The dialogue is sometimes straight out of P. G. Wodehouse, and my children laugh themselves nearly sick over it, proving that you don't need to know the cultural background for such dialogue (for example,"Ta-ta, old sausage") for it to work. The treatment of the felonious Father Christmas is sympathetic and serves as a good counterpoint to the reality of the criminal-justice system in the U.S. My husband and I bought this book for ourselves long before we had children, and we find new bits of humor each time through--as do our sons, presently aged five and six.