Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall [Hardcover]

Emily Bearn (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Tumtum & Nutmeg

Deep inside the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage, two mice live in great style.

Tumtum and Nutmeg lead cozy and quiet lives, secretly looking after Arthur and Lucy, the disheveled human children of the cottage, never dreaming that so many exciting adventures will soon find them. But when evil Aunt Ivy, a squeamish schoolteacher named Miss Short, and pirating pond rats threaten the safety of those they hold dear, the courageous pair will stop at nothing to save the day.

In three thrilling tales with charming illustrations in every chapter, Tumtum and Nutmeg--along with the valiant efforts of veteran hero General Marchmouse, Ms. Tiptoe's bouncing ballerina army, and a team of caged gerbils--prove that small-size mice can have world-size hearts.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 2–4—Rose Cottage is a modest abode "rife with clutter and chaos." But behind a broom-closet door, hidden by a heavy chest of drawers, lies a 36-room mansion, home to Tumtum and Nutmeg Nutmouse. The retiring animal couple takes great pleasure in helping absentminded Mr. Mildew and his motherless children, who live in the cottage, in small ways—darning socks, rewiring heaters, and patching shoes. But a visit by the Mildews' odious Aunt Ivy turns the quiet couple's life upside down after the woman spots them on the upstairs landing. A full-blown mouse attack ensues, requiring the assistance of neighboring General Marchmouse and his mouse battalion. Adventure upon adventure follows, including trouble at the local school and an encounter with pirate rats (who are hindered by liqueur-filled chocolates). Before long readers know just what to expect from Bearn's characters: a can-do attitude and bustling efficiency from Nutmeg, even-tempered consideration from Tumtum, and from the General, an inflated ego and childlike impulses. The author provides enough twists and turns to keep the excitement high and fills her story with delightful details (outside of an occasional "earwig en croute," the mice nibble on piles of tasty homemade cakes, scones, and gingerbread, all described). Rustically framed pen-and-ink drawings appear throughout, adding panache to the presentation. This British import is as satisfying as high tea, and a perfect choice for competent young readers.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
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From Booklist

Evocative of classics like The Borrowers and The Wind in the Willows, this mouse tale should appeal to children who like to imagine little creatures operating behind the scenes. In a small cottage in England live Mr. and Mrs. Nutmouse (aka Tumtum and Nutmeg), who reside in a grand house inside a broom cupboard. Twisting the usual human-animal dynamic, Bearn presents the mice as faring better than the human family and trying to help the sweet-natured girl and boy. (Their mother has died and their father is an eccentric inventor.) The three old-fashioned adventures here recount the daring rescues, not-too-scary hostage dramas, and close escapes that ensue when human and animal worlds collide. Bearn draws the situations with amusing particulars, including human foibles for man, mouse, gerbil, and rat, and drums up plenty of suspense as Tumtum and Nutmeg are forced to suspend their cozy lifestyle to save their friends and themselves. Price’s black-and-white illustrations capture the Nutmouses’ goodheartedness and the humans’ dampened circumstances in a cheerful, rustic style. Grades 2-4. --Abby Nolan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316027030
• ISBN-13: 978-0316027038
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.5 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emily Bearn's Debut Works On All Fronts, June 3, 2009

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall (Hardcover)

In the tradition of many a Great Mouse tale (Geronimo Stilton, Ralph S. Mouse, Stuart Little, The Rescuers, etc.), TUMTUM & NUTMEG is a prime example of old-fashioned storytelling where cute-as-a-button animals talk, adults are buffoons, and the promise of bonafide adventure makes the story worth telling --- and hearing. A collection of three mini-stories full of unlucky captures, heroic escapes and a whole lot of scampering, Emily Bearn's debut works on all fronts.

In the first story entitled "Tumtum & Nutmeg," Bearn sets up the concept for the series simply but with just the right amount of whimsy and suspense to draw in youngsters. Two gangly kids (nerdy Arthur and slightly bossy Lucy) live with their widowed, disheveled dad (an inventor) in a decrepit old house called Rose Cottage. Little do they know that Tumtum and Nutmeg, the delightful Mr. and Mrs. Mouse, have also made the ramshackle cottage home --- in the 36-room lavish miniature mansion, called Nutmouse Hall, hidden behind the bookshelves in the broom closet.

The two worlds, human and mouse, peacefully coexist under one roof like they always have --- Tumtum and Nutmeg tidy up the kids' attic room at night to help out; Arthur and Lucy think a fairy is responsible for the good deed --- until trouble strikes one day. Arthur and Lucy's curmudgeony, mice-fearing Aunt Ivy comes to visit, and all hell breaks loose --- including a rat poisoning, a surprise attack by an army of mice with the Napoleonic General Mousemarch at the helm, and Aunt Ivy's ultimate emotional breakdown (reminiscent of Aunt Spiker or Aunt Sponge from JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH).

The next two stories, "The Great Escape" and "The Pirates' Treasure," are equally as enjoyable --- and entertaining. "The Great Escape" follows the captured General Mousemarch to Arthur and Lucy's school where he is kept amidst naked, unsophisticated gerbils and later rescued by a troupe of dainty mice-ballerinas on pogo sticks. Just like its title sounds, the last saga recounts yet another sticky situation for the bumbling General Mousemarch as he is held for ransom by a band of beastly rat-pirates on a small island in the pond next to Arthur and Lucy's house.

Bearn's roster of characters are a bit of what one might expect to find in these types of British adventure tales, but that doesn't make them any less lovable (or, in Ivy's case, despicable). Nutmeg's generosity is as boundless as General Mousemarch's goofy senselessness is expected, and the siblings are just enough in the background to provide a relatable context for readers.

Will there be more tales of derring-do beyond Nutmouse Hall? And will there be delicate black and white illustrations throughout each book at just the right moments? With Bearn and illustrator Nick Price at the helm, let's hope so.

--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful stories to read to your children!, May 18, 2011

By 

D. Evans "Mom of Twins" (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this to my 6 year old boy/girl twins. They loved it. I loved. Perfect to read to both genders. I am an avid reader and am working to instill a love of reading in my children - this was an excellent start. They were a little disconcerted when we started as there are only black & white illustrations (which are beautiful) and they are not on every page like they were used to, but I explained how reading a well written story should put the images moving in your mind. My son was was very excited the other night exclaiming to me, "Mom - I see it all in my head!"

Buy it. Snuggle up and read it to your children!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book! Sure to be a classic!, August 4, 2009

By 

Darcy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tumtum and Nutmeg (Tumtum & Nutmeg) (Kindle Edition)

This is a fabulous collection that is sure to be a classic! I read this book aloud to my children and we devoured it! We can't wait to see the next adventures Tumtum and Nutmeg will embark upon! This book should be on every family's bookshelf alongside Wind in the Willows, Charlotte's Web and the like. It is exquisitely written and wonderful fun! We highly recommend it!!