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Captain Mousebeard is the most feared of all pirates. He sails the high seas, seeking out the rarest breeds of mice to collect and trade, because mice, it seems, are a high-priced commodity in Old Town. Emiline is the mousekeeper to Isiah Lovelock, one of Old Town's wealthiest citizens and bitter rival of Captain Mousebeard. When Lovelock puts a bounty on Mousebeard's head and hires the slick Captain Drewshank to seek out Mousebeard, Emiline grabs her chance at the adventure of a lifetime. When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew it was a tale that would be right up my children's alley. Pirates? Check. Mice? Check. High-seas adventure? Check. So, I cracked open the first page and we were off and running. THE MOUSEHUNTER is a delightful book filled with pirate-y antics and colorful characters. My boys (who are 8 & 9 1/2) loved the cool "mousing guide" entries that preceded each chapter, complete with sketches of unique mice species and detailed mousing notes. Alex Milway pens a clever tale where mice are a hot commodity. Each breed serves a purpose--from the powder mice, who carry gunpowder to the cannons, to the messenger mice, who have wings and carry important notes. And, okay, maybe the dung mouse don't serve a purpose, but they sure are comical, especially to eight and nine year old boys. The illustrations are delightful, the plot engaging and fast-paced, and though it's a long book at 422 pages it flies by as Emiline makes new friends and saves the day. When we reached 'the end', I turned to my boys and asked if they liked it. Their response? "Will there be a sequel?" I think that's a rousing recommendation in their book and I hope, for their sakes, that Mr. Milway will deliver.
Reviewed by Cindy |
THE MOUSEHUNTER
Posted April 2009 |
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