Torben Kuhlmann

Stunning Artwork, but the Ending Comes a Little Too Soon

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book from review through NetGalley.)

The story of Moletown begins with a lone mole, who tunneled underneath a lush, wild meadow. He was quickly joined by other moles. Content to live simply at first, development slowly spun out of control - and before they knew it, the green fields above their heads had been reduced to barren earth. Meanwhile, the tunnels below grew crowded, the show more air choked by cars and industry. (Much of which has a wonderful steampunk vibe.) On the brink of collapse, the moles saved their underground paradise at the 11th hour, thanks to a series of green initiatives.

The artwork here is absolutely breathtaking. DO NOT READ THIS ON A KINDLE. Seriously, you'd be downplaying the best part. Kuhlmann's tiny mole protagonists are simply adorable, and his cityscapes are quite lovely. (Almost deceptively so, given the moral of the story.) He manages to take a mostly monochromatic landscape and imbue it with life and excitement. The story's presented as a history of Moletown, complete with scrapbook-style pages at the beginning and end. If you can, spring for the hardcover edition: Moletown is a piece of artwork that's meant to be held, stroked, and savored. Otherwise read it on a laptop, iPad, or similar: anything with generous screen size and color capabilities. A Kindle doesn't come anywhere close to doing Kuhlmann's art justice.

Less impressive are the solutions promised in the final pages. The text is quite sparse - there's only six sentences in the entire book - and Kuhlmann lets his illustrations do the talking. For the most part, this works magically. But the end could have been a little longer, I think. The moles' climate change initiatives are presented as snapshots at the end of the scrapbook; those positioned on the top and bottom are cut off, and others are partially obscured by overlapped photos, such that they're difficult to fully make out. Best I can tell, the solutions include wind energy, planting flowers, and preserving green space - not exactly a recipe for change. (The ending is so abrupt at first I thought my review copy was damaged or incomplete!)

Buy it for the gorgeous artwork, but brainstorm some additional talking points for storytime with the kiddos.

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Get ready for adventure because this little mouse is about to go where no mouse has gone before.

This book is only one of...oh, I don't know how many books centered around historical moments, which set san adorable mouse as the main character. I picked this read up unaware of the series, and that's no problem since these are made as stand-alones. I will be heading back to discover some of the other tales, though, since it is really a delightful read.

A little field mouse dreams of discovering show more the world beyond its burrow and receives inspiration from a tale about a mouse, who once flew to a far away place itself. After seeing amazing places around the globe on stamps, the mouse takes one on its back and heads out to see if its truly possible to visit far away places. Especially the giant cats in Africa seem like something worth seeing...if they truly exist. The journey leads to unexpected places and has the mouse meeting interesting characters. There's danger, disappointment, unexpected surprises, and experiences which make the heart soar. But the goal of flying to Africa isn't one easily achieved, and every step forward could be the mouse's last.

I'm simply going to gush over my favorite part of this read right away: the illustrations. Middle grade books tend to be packed with words, where illustrations remain on the sideline at best. This book turns that trend on its head. Each page radiates with capturing scenes, filled with details and love. The artwork is carefully done and visually adds so much depth and information to each moment. It's a treat to simply pick the book up and soak in each one.

The text is well set for the middle grade audience or as a read-aloud for slightly younger audiences (but it will take several sessions to get through this read that way). The chapters are short but grabbing. While it might first appear that this might work for chapter book readers, the vocabulary and sentences are fitting to the slightly older reading group. While the illustrations carry much of the world-building visually, the text concentrates on driving the plot and characters' personalities forward. And it does a marvelous job, making the mouse easy to like and root for. The plot is also quick-paced, tense and intriguing. Even more reluctant readers won't steer clear of this one. It reminded me a bit of An American Tail.

With all of this mouse-adventure goodness, there is a historical twist...and it didn't come like I expected. Ms. Earhart doesn't play a major role in the story until the very end. Instead, the joy of chasing goals, and the difficulty and work involved in finding a way (or finding a way to fly) is explored. The historical aspects hit after this inspiration settles in, building on the excitement after the tale. Not only is there a summary of Earhart's journey (and this, too, is interesting and even explores the various myths of what really happened to her), but other famous flights are quickly summed up and highlighted.

Not only is this a very enjoyable read, but it uses the inspiration to introduce historical facts and leave the readers with a new respect for accomplishments of the past. show less

When an eager young mouse named Pete approaches the learned old professor who teaches science at the University of Mice, sharing an incredible tale of his ancestor's trans-Atlantic voyage and of his lost treasure, the old gentleman at first doesn't wish to get involved. But he soon realizes that, like himself at that age, Pete is a born inventor and adventurer, and won't give up in his efforts to get to the bottom of the ocean and retrieve the treasure. Soon the pair are making plans, and show more diving into the depths. But will the treasure be what they expected...?

Originally published in German as Edison: Das Rätsel des verschollenen Mäuseschatzes, this delightful tale of murine adventure and can-do is the fourth picture-book I have read from talented author/illustrator Torben Kuhlmann. Every bit as enjoyable as its predecessors, it pairs an engaging adventure story with gorgeous artwork. Kuhlmann's narrative once again shows a mouse leading the way (with humans coming in second), while his illustrations are simply beautiful, with a luminous quality that grabs the eye. I was pleased to see that the professor here is actually Armstrong, the space-faring mouse from Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon. That was a nice touch! I was also pleased with the afterword, which gives a history of scientific endeavor, when it comes to electric lighting. I appreciated that Kuhlmann showed the many inventors who came before Edison. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animals fiction, and to anyone who (like me) enjoys Kuhlmann's artwork. show less

Noticing that all of the other mice have disappeared from his city - driven away by the invention of a new kind of mouse trap - the intrepid little murine hero of this delightful German picture-book decides to emigrate to America. Slowly, through trial and error, he creates a flying machine that will take him across the Atlantic, evading cats and owls, and making aviation history...

Originally published in Germany as Lindbergh: Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer fliegenden Maus (literally: show more "Lindbergh: The Adventurous Story of a Flying Mouse"), this charming tale was author/illustrator Torben Kuhlmann's first book to be published. I've been meaning to get to it, and to some of its creator's other books as well, for some time now, and am glad that I finally did. I found the story engaging enough, and thought that the little mouse made an appealing hero, but it was the artwork that really made this one special. Absolutely charming! I loved the detail in some of Kuhlmann's paintings - the intricate mechanisms that the little mouse tinkers with - but I also loved the larger animal depictions, whether of cat or owl. This truly had a magical feeling to it, making me eager to pick up more by Kuhlmann. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animal fiction - anyone looking for novel-length stories about aviator mice want to give the Hermux Tantamoq books a try! - and to anyone who appreciates gorgeous illustration. show less