Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveler had me from the Author's Note: "It is a little-known secret that some small animals keep diaries of their adventures. Most often the animals are rabbits, hamsters, or white mice....I found Christopher's diary in a mouse hole, in the attic of a friend's house. Why it was there, I never learned. But I did read it—and if you read it too, you'll see how things turned out for him, small traveler that he was."
Christopher is born into humble beginnings. He spends his early days in an ordinary wire cage and his family is owned by a heartless mouse-breeder. Eventually their mother decides it is time to begin their schooling, preparing them for what lies ahead after they leave the cage. As she describes the different places they could end up, she instills a practical hopefulness and healthy curiosity about the world. "With people for company you'll never be bored. The things they say to their friends and relatives—and the other things they say when their friends and relatives have gone. Books? College? Listen to people, study them, and you'll end up with a real education!"
When Christopher is taken from the cage and sold to a pet store, his adventures begin. Through a series of different owners, escapes, and daring feats, he learns not only about survival, but human nature as well. Eventually, his real-world tour finds him at the Metropolitan Museum, and he decides that he prefers safety and companionship to the risky life of getting by on his own. He makes a bold decision to reveal himself to the next person he sees, who is, thankfully, a sympathetic artist. Soon, he's adopted into a happy home with plenty of food, water, and gently loving hands—something he can only fully appreciate after all he's been through.
Christopher Mouse is a nice, tight Level 3 book. The chapters are a manageable length for before bedtime, and it's a plot-driven story with just the right amount of character development and setting details. It all adds up to a very satisfying read about a smart little mouse.
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