Eve Titus (1922–2002)

First sentence: In all France there was no happier, more contented mouse than Anatole. He lived in a small mouse village near Paris with his dear wife Doucette and their six charming children--Paul and Paulette, Claude and Claudette, George and Georgette.

Premise/plot: Anatole is flustered, to say the least, when he learns that humans think of mice as vermin. He decides to 'redeem' the way things are--mice sneaking human food. He goes to a cheese factory prepared. He brings typed notes show more (flags, I believe). Extra-'Specially Good, 'Specially Good, Good, Not So Good, No Good. He will stick these flags/notes into each cheese he samples. He'll also write additional notes sharing his opinions. M. Duvall is surprised but ultimately pleased. He listens to Anatole's advice and his sales increase. Anatole has a gift for what makes a great cheese great. M. Duvall invites Anatole to continue visiting the factory and helping out. He even leaves extra snacks and treats. (Of course, he doesn't know Anatole is a mouse exactly). Anatole is therefore honorably able to provide for his family. It's a win-win situation...

My thoughts: I LOVED this one. I loved it so much!!! It is one of those that is practically perfect in every way. I loved the text, the story. I loved the illustrations. What a fun world Eve Titus created!

I really loved the five categories Anatole uses. I might even use those categories instead of stars. Maybe. show less

Another simple story about an entrepreneurial French mouse, Anatole, this book is not! Titus and Galdone shift perspective to comment on the rise of technology in the workplace through the introduction of an untoward robot who attempts to take over Anatole’s job at the Duvale cheese factory. The robot in question is not actually bad at its job of tasting cheese (a surprising turn, but it would have been too simple a motif to have the robot just be incompetent at the job), but their show more prevailing theme is that even if machinery can technically replace human (or mouse) workers the artistry required for many of these jobs cannot be replicated. Not really a surprising motif coming from the French, who very much value artistic inclinations in the workplace, but one that is important nonetheless! show less

This is one of the sweetest and most cleverly-written pastiches I've ever seen. Basil aspires to be the mouse version of his hero, Sherlock Holmes, and the self-aware nature of the story works beautifully, making it especially cute when Basil and Holmes contrast (Basil laps up the attention, heartily approves of Dawson's stories, and plays the violin very badly). The story's real strength lies in its writing, however; the prose is simple and even lyrical in places, and it repeatedly borrows show more phrases directly out of the Holmes stories themselves, adapted to suit the mice - Dawson refers to Basil as "the best and wisest mouse [he'd] ever known", while chapter 11 begins, "It is with a heavy heart that I... take pen in paw to write these lines." Aside from training up a new generation of Holmes fans, it's surprisingly educational in other ways as well, with a scattering of Spanish vocabulary and an argument between Basil and the wife of the Mexican mouse president about women's rights and famous women in history. The story is quite interesting for a children's mystery, and even adult readers are likely to find it charming, Holmes fans or not. show less

First sentence: The mystery of the missing twins could never have been solved by an ordinary detective. But Basil, of course, was far from ordinary.

Premise/plot: Basil and Dr. David Q. Dawson share a house with Sherlock Holmes. Basil, the great detective, is a mouse who learns from the best of the best. Dr. David Q. Dawson is his sidekick, his Watson, if you will. In this early chapter book--illustrated, of course, the two solve the case of two missing children--Agatha and Angela. This is a show more case that will put them in some degree of danger--particularly from owls--but they will stay on the case and follow all the clues...

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I think I would have probably loved it even more as a kid. It just LOOKS like a delightful, fun, animal fantasy. (And fortunately, it is nothing like Stuart Little.) As an adult, I do have a few questions as to how this mouse society works. The infrastructure between the human world and the mouse world--I've got questions. It makes sense that his mouse city would all be housed either in the basement or the attic of Sherlock Holmes' place, but, I'm not sure HOW he gets around to all the places he gets. And I think there's even trains? I don't know. The more I thought about this one, the more questions I had. But it was in some ways just a delight. show less