Publishers Weekly
10/03/2016
Born and raised in a lab, Isaiah the mouse has blue fur, is well-spoken, and can read and write. When he and his 96 siblings escape from the lab, Isaiah is the only one who eludes capture. After being taken in by a mischief of mice who live in the cellar of the Brophy family home, Isaiah becomes a valuable member of the family, outwitting the family cat and rescuing a mouse caught in a trap, among other exploits. As Isaiah comes to recognize his own skills, courage, and self-worth, he emboldens others, like Mikayla, a mouse with her own unacknowledged talent. Isaiah’s friendship with a human girl named Hailey (it’s implied that she has albinism) further drives home the novel’s themes of celebrating individuality and belief in oneself. Sutphin’s detailed line drawings pair perfectly with this sweet tale from the authors behind the Treasure Hunters books and other titles. Reminiscent of Garth Williams’s work in Stuart Little, the artwork helps set up Isaiah as a modern-day counterpart to that intrepid mouse. Ages 8–12. Illustrator’s agent: Ed Maxwell, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Word of Mouse:
A New York Times Bestseller!
A Parents' Choice Award® winner!Barnes and Noble's Best Book of the Month for Young Readers!
An Amazon Best Book of the Month Pick!
A Louisiana Readers' Choice Award Nominee!A Utah Beehive Award Nominee!A Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee!A New York Charlotte Award Nominee!A Texas Cy-Fair Horned Toad Tales Award Nominee!A Indiana Young Hoosier Award Nominee!
★ "Patterson and frequent collaborator Grabenstein offers this charming tale of Isaiah, a blue (yes-bright blue!) mouse, and his effort to break his family out of a very bad place. Sutphin provides black-and-white spot illustrations that recall the great mouse protagonists of the mid-20th century. With smart witticisms to launch each quick-paced chapter, Isaiah is truly a mouse that roars."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ "Children's literature offers a long tradition of clever mice who accomplish amazing feats, and Patterson and Grabenstein's Isaiah seems destined to join them. Here's hoping this unique hero returns soon with further adventures."—Booklist (starred review)
★ "Though this story has strong messages of accepting differences, finding common ground and the courage to be yourself, and loving your enemies, it remains lighthearted and funny. Young listeners will love it."
—Booklist (starred review, audiobook edition)
"Brilliant, fast-paced, and loaded with wisdom, humor, and boldness, Word of Mouse is pitch-perfect in every way."—The Times Herald
"As Isaiah comes to recognize his own skills, courage, and self-worth, he emboldens others....Isaiah's friendship with a human girl named Hailey (it's implied she has albinism) further drives home the novel's themes of celebrating individuality and belief in oneself. Sutphin's detailed line drawings pair perfectly with this sweet tale."—Publisher's Weekly
"A fun, relatable tale with...a strong message about focusing on the things we have in common, not the ones that divide us. Word of Mouse will tickle the funny bones."—Common Sense Media
FEBRUARY 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Nate Begle does authors Patterson and Grabenstein proud. He infuses their hero, an escaped blue lab rat named Isaiah, with an exuberant, inquisitive, and persistent personality—surely what the authors had in mind. Isaiah explores the human world as he searches for his family, all the while offering insight into humankind and animals. While listeners initially may find Begle’s mouse a bit squeaky and artificial, as Isaiah’s quest to find his 96 siblings progresses, Begle’s register lowers, making him a more convincing mouse. Isaiah’s love of words and ability to talk, type, and orate are sure to win over listeners. Equally charming is Hailey, a human Isaiah befriends. Supporting characters have distinctive voices as well—especially the brown non-lab mouse, Mikayla, and the bumbling caretaker of the lab, Mr. Brophy. A.R. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Review
★ 2016-07-26
Prolific Patterson and frequent collaborator Grabenstein offer this charming tale of Isaiah, a blue (yes—bright blue!) mouse, and his effort to break his family out of a very bad place.Isaiah and his 96 siblings have been raised in a lab since birth, so they don’t really know what the outside world is like. Isaiah’s big brother Benji was the one to come up with a plan to break them all out…but only Isaiah is fortunate enough to make it to freedom. Alone in a huge and unfamiliar world filled with unexpected pleasures and dangers, Isaiah is lucky to find Mikayla, a beautiful but ordinary mouse with an extraordinary talent: she sings! Mikayla brings Isaiah back to her family (appropriately called a “mischief” in mouse vernacular), who formally adopts him. But Isaiah misses his original family, and with the help of his new relatives and a human friend or two, he mounts a daring rescue to save his siblings. Narrator Isaiah is a well-read mouse, and, without being pedantic about it, he shows off his vocabulary at every opportunity; his literacy comes in handy more than once, demonstrating its practicality as well. Sutphin provides black-and-white spot illustrations that recall the great mouse protagonists of the mid-20th century. With smart witticisms to launch each quick-paced chapter, Isaiah is truly a mouse that roars. (Fantasy. 8-12)
