Mr. Maxwell is one contented cat. He has just been promoted. And what better way to celebrate than by going to his favorite restaurant, the Paw and Claw? He decides to live a little and order the house specialty -- a live mouse. When the headwaiter asks if they should kill the mouse, Mr. Maxwell says that isn't necessary. He knows the Paw and Claw's mice are bred for politeness! But this particular live mouse can't keep quiet -- would Mr. Maxwell like to add a little salt? Or order a glass of wine? Would he mind saying a little prayer before eating? My, what a bold and wordy mouse! Mr. Maxwell hopes the mouse doesn't give him indigestion ? Richly illustrated and full of surprises, Mr. Maxwell's Mouse is a David-and-Goliath story with claws, whiskers and tails.
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–A clever game of cat and mouse is presented with delicious humor by this father/son team. Mr. Howard Maxwell, a dapper, pompous feline, lunches daily on baked mouse at the stuffy Paw and Claw restaurant, but today is different. Promoted to Vice Manager of Efficiency Control at Taylor, Bentwell and Nipson, he celebrates by ordering raw mouse instead. The entrée arrives "stretched out on a single slice of rye toast as if sunning itself on a sandy beach" and proceeds to engage its prospective nemesis in conversation, a wily plan to escape its fate. Mr. Maxwell falls into the trap, is tricked into cutting into his own tail, and the mouse gets away, freeing the other mice awaiting consumption and creating mayhem in the restaurant as well. Recuperating in the hospital, Mr. Maxwell receives a note that reads, in part: "I'm sure you would have taken similar measures had you found yourself in my position.… I bear you no ill will and can only imagine that you feel the same." Readers will relish the formal language as a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint to a very funny, if macabre, story. In keeping with the black humor, dark but lush illustrations, rendered in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter, depict an Edwardian setting with the staid, elegant restaurant interior just begging to be thrown into chaos. White text against glossy black panels perfectly suits the mood, and atop his mustard brown toast the little white mouse glows with cleverness. A truly scrumptious treat.–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Mr. Maxwell--actually a fashionably dressed feline--has received a promotion at work. To celebrate, he repairs to his favorite restaurant, the Paw and Claw, for a luncheon of fresh mouse. How fresh? Well, the critter is still alive when it's delivered to the table, and, moreover, it's in the mood for conversation. Most children will recognize this for the delaying tactic it is, but Mr. Maxwell doesn't have a clue. Not, that is, until--a bit squeamish about ingesting such a lively entree--he is persuaded by the mouse to don a blindfold. Then things become, well, painfully clear. There's something a little creepy about this story and the elegant, computer-assisted pictures that accompany it. Maybe the cats look a bit too human (they have hands instead of paws), or maybe it's the idea of chatting up your lunch. Whichever, this is one of those books that incites the kind of frisson that certain children will enjoy more than adults who, like this reviewer, are as squeamish as Mr. Maxwell. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Interesting Than Entertaining,
This review is from: Mr. Maxwell's Mouse (Hardcover)
In early 20th century England, tradition, formality, and imperialism are still prized possessions of the British Empire. And so it is with Mr. Maxwell. Every day, at precisely 12:45 pm, he walks amongst the other cats to the dignified "Paw and Claw" dining establishment for his midday lunch of baked mouse. He is a somewhat stuffy cat, full of secret ambition, and both pride and power burst through his 3-piece herringbone suit. Today, he is particularly proud because of his promotion to Vice Manager of Efficiency Control, and it is partly for this reason that he decides to order a fresh mouse and to kill it himself.
The live mouse, served on a single slice of rye bread with a garnish of parsley, arrives relaxed and talkative. When the mouse sneezes due to the salt and pepper showering him, Mr. Maxwell says "Gesundheit," and the mouse thanks him. "Mr. Maxwell appreciated the compliment, but said nothing more. His mother had always advised him not to fraternize with the food." Mr. Maxwell is up against a formidable mouse, however, who elicits his pity and admiration, even as the cat's fork holds him down and his knife is perilously close to cutting. The mouse assures him that he doesn't want to escape, but his 5-hankie prayer, his advice on which wine would go best with mouse, and his empathy for Maxwell's difficulty in going for the kill earn the cat's trust. This is the cat's eventual undoing, as the mouse tricks him, frees the other mice, and sends Maxwell to the hospital with a bloody tail. Asch sets a Gothic tone early, with the cold green décor and the grayish-green pallor of the cats and the dark greys of the formal club. The computer-generated graphics also lend a cold, odd cast to the illustrations. On one gruesome page, Asch depicts the mouse almost facing us, with a fork and knife millimeters away from their fatal work. While the ending is wild and liberating, we see some blood (his own) flowing down Maxwell's tail as he lets out a painful scream. This quirky book, full of gloomy, threatening imagery, expressionist close-ups and long shots, the specter of mousicide, and class (or, at least, inter-species) warfare (complete with sharp knife and let blood) is for older elementary school children and up. While creative, I found the book more interesting than entertaining.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read Aloud Honor Book,
By
This review is from: Mr. Maxwell's Mouse (Hardcover)
Mr. Maxwell is a sophisticated, debonair Edwardian businesscat, who goes to his favorite restaurant the Paw and Claw to celebrate his promotion to Vice Manager of Efficiency Control. Instead of ordering his usual baked mouse, he orders raw mouse for his entrèe. The Paw and Claw prides itself on polite and plump mice, but the one served to Mr. Maxwell just can't keep quiet. Would Mr. Maxwell like to add a little salt? Would he like to say a prayer before eating? Would he like a fine glass of wine?
Devin Asch, son of the author, illustrates this macabre, dark comedy with artwork created in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. The glossy illustrations alternate between detailed scenes of the restaurant and close-ups of Mr. Maxwell and the mouse. The facial expressions and body language add to the tongue-and-cheek quality of the text. White text against black panels fit the sophisticated tone of the story. Children found the illustrations to be "elegant" and "distinguished" and appreciated the details, such as the cats' clothing. While sixth graders said that the story might be scary for young children, they found it to be entertaining and funny. A ten-year-old girl laughed at the idea of an animal talking to its food and "beamed from ear to ear" as the book was read. A nine-year-old burst boy out laughing when the mouse maneuvered Mr. Maxwell's tail on to his plate. He also compared the story to "Tom and Jerry" cartoons.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for both kids and adults,
By
This review is from: Mr. Maxwell's Mouse (Hardcover)
I read this book today to a 4th grade class and was thoroughly entertained, as were the children who "got" the tongue in cheek humor more than some adults who also rated this story. If I'm going to read children's books, I want laugh out loud humor. This book did not disappoint. Cleverly written and beautifully illustrated, the book's lesson is that manners and communication will solve problems. The underdog wins, but is still humble in his triumph. Entertaining morality-it's an unbeatable combination.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
