Palmer Brown (1)Reviews

Nice story of a little girl who enters another world through a pond. Much of the story references a "gypsy mother" and her child, which I found to be insensitive in the way old books are. I read it out loud to the kids and talked about the problems of racist stereotypes and then also dropped the "gypsy" signifier that occurred every time the family was mentioned.

A Young girl leaves her home for the first time to pay her aunt a visit, but gets caught alone in a runaway train, which takes her to a magical land.
Meh. A product of its time and genre. Flat characters skipping along in a plot that is just one silly thing after another, clearly meant to entertain the very young with no real appeal to audiences older than, say, 8.½

Loved reading this to my daughter when she was little. Fun to have a voice for the baby mouse and the mother mouse.

A lovely little piece of fantasy. I look forward to reading the rest of his books.

Rather delightful, in the dreamlike vein of Alice in Wonderland or the Phantom Tollbooth. It's one of those stories in which nothing is wasted - every little detail, however small or whimsical, comes back to be useful later on.

An dreamlike children's fantasy. It has a surreal quality that I am not used to. Anna Lavinia is growing up in an unhappy home, with a missing father and a miserable mother. One morning her mother sends her alone on a long train trip to visit her aunt, for no particular reason. Partway through the trip, the engineer gets left behind, and Anna Lavinia, her cat, and the train journey on together, until they get to where the tracks meet, the end of the line. Anna Lavinia thinks perhaps she should be concerned, but since everything seems to be going all right, she doesn't bother. She continues on in this unflappable way, through ever stranger adventures.

I would have loved this book when I was about eight. But I think this is a children's book that does not work as well for adults, no matter how much we want it to.

Sweet little book with lovely illustrations. A very quick read. An unusual adventure traveling through the dew pond to a world without gravity. Tingles instead. I have just found this author and will look for more.

Cheerful was born a church mouse, but unlike his siblings Faith, Hope and Solemnity, he wasn't content with his city home, and dreamed of life in the country. Led on by the beautiful song that his mother - herself a country mouse - would always sing, a song describing the beauty of the passing seasons in an idyllic country setting, Cheerful set out to find the home of his dreams...

Originally published in 1957, and then reprinted by The New York Review Children's Collection in this new 2012 edition, Cheerful is a sweet little tale of a young mouse searching for the place where he belongs. A little bit longer than Palmer Brown's holiday mouse story, Something for Christmas, this brief 58-page title - although there are no chapters, as such, the narrative is divided naturally into brief two-page segments, with text on one page and illustration on the other - would make an excellent selection for young readers who are just beginning with longer fiction. I found the story engaging (although not as moving as Something for Christmas), and thought the artwork, which alternates between black and white and delicately-colored etching-style drawings, was beautiful. Recommended to anyone who enjoys mouse stories!

Just about perfect.  Not too long, or short.  Sweet, but not twee.  Heartfelt and sincere, and perfectly fine for anyone who celebrates any gift-giving celebration in which the focus is meant to be love, not material gain.  (No mention of Christ.)  I don't know what the reprint looks like, but the original is a sweet little design that will fit in the smallest hands.½

2 ILL

HICKORY by Palmer Brown is an engaging Children's Book for ages 5-8. Young and old readers alike are sure to love this enduring story of Hickory, the field mouse who lived with his parents and siblings, Dickory and Dock,in a Grandfather clock. A fun look at adventure,friendship,family,loyalty,sadness and change. I loved this story. The characters are engaging and yes, I remember the song,"Hickory,Dickory,Dock the mouse ran up the clock",and the plot intriguing. As you follow Hickory,the amazing mouse, and his new friends, on a grand adventure,you can't help but wonder,WOW. This is the 35th anniversary of this story,so go out and pick it up for your future children and grand-children. It is beautifully written and a story sure to live on forever. I loved it! A must read for both young and old readers with adorable creatures,including a grasshopper,caterpillars,beetles,a cat and how they become true friends. Well done,indeed. Received for an honest review from the publisher.

RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: NONE(CHILDREN'S)

REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

A little mouse and his mother try to figure out what he can give to a special someone in this adorable Christmas tale, first published in 1958, and recently reprinted by The New York Review Children's Collection in 2011. As the two mice consider one possibility after another, only to reject it because the little mouse doesn't have the necessary supplies, it becomes ever more obvious who the "special someone" is. Finally, when seemingly all ideas are exhausted, the little mouse stumbles across the simple but precious gift that he has had in his power to give all along - the kind of gift that this special someone values above all else.

Although the identity of the special someone - the little mouse's own mother - is almost immediately apparent to the reader here, there is something deeply moving about the way that this pair interact. Mother Mouse clearly knows what is on her son's mind, but she plays along, gently leading him, through her suggestions and questions, to an understanding of what is important in the Christmas season. The artwork is simply charming, ably capturing the murine duo's close and loving relationship. All in all, Something for Christmas is a sweet little tale, one I would recommend to younger readers looking for holiday fare, as well as to anyone in the mood for stories that emphasize the importance of love, as opposed to material wealth.

I had never heard of this book before, perhaps because it was out of print for many years. Then I heard what a wonderful book it was on a book blog. I'd been looking for a "first" chapter book to read aloud to my five year old daughter. It is back in print now, so I ordered a copy.

It is such a charming story. It was written in the 1950's. It is the story of a girl named Anna Lavinia who lives with her mom in a distant house far away from neighbors and the village. When she finally ventures out beyond the grove of paw paw trees to visit her aunt by train, Anna Lavinia begins what is to become a magical journey to distant lands full of secrets and surprises.

I had so much fun reading this book for the first time as an adult. I can only imagine how much better it must be for a child to read this. My five year old LOVED it. Every night we read one or two chapters and she would race through her bedtime routine, just because she was so excited to hear more of the story. There are very cute pencil sketch drawings on almost every page (sometimes every other page.)

I think there is a second book and it is coming back to print in April 2012. I definitely will read that to my daughter as well and I look so forward to continue Anna Lavinia's adventures. This was the best chapter book ever to read to your young children and a great book for anyone of all ages to enjoy. I count myself lucky to have discovered this book.

Absolutely the top of my list when I was in elementary school - seemed so exotic for a blue-blood Bostonian!

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Guard the ground I stand upon" Cuddled in a cozy armchair, my grandmother read this book to me countless times. I loved the little mouse and the beautiful country home he dreamed of and finally found. Comforting and utterly charming.