Cheerful: A Picture-Story

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! ( )

"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. ( )