The Mousehunter

Titles:  #1 The Mousehunter; #2  The Curse of Mousebeard; #3  Mousebeard's Revenge

Author/Illustrator:  Alex Milway

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  5th grade and up

My 11 year-old daughter rates this trilogy with an "A," Highly Recommended.  I would probably put a caution in for some families ("C," Recommended with Reservations).  So we compromised and gave it 2 stars out of 3 possible.

Alex Milway shows a lot of creativity and artistry in planning this medieval mankind/mouse kingdom adventure series.  Just when you think there is nothing new under the sun (so to speak), a talented, clever author/illustrator comes along and does something relatively unique.

After a somewhat grisly opening scene at Old Town harbor (Pirate's Wharf, to be exact), Milway introduces us to Emiline Orelia, 12 year-old mousekeeper.  In Emiline's world, mice and men live cooperatively.  Various sorts of mice are collected and employed in a number of tasks in this seafaring tale of ships' captains, merchants and pirates.  Mice species are as varied and valuable as our modern dog species and Milway has outdone himself, illustrating each chapter with a unique mouse entry from "The Mousehunter's Almanac."

Already a resourceful mousekeeper, Emiline longs for adventure and the opportunity to become a true mousehunter.  She meets Captain Devlin Drewshank and embarks for adventure on the high seas, tracking the infamous Captain Mousebeard.  Naturally, a varied cast of characters is introduced and it is up to the reader to determine who can be trusted.  What do Lady Pettifogger and Lord Battersby have planned for Drewshank?  Is Mousebeard really such a villain?  Where do Algernon and Spires fit into the mystery?  And whatever happened to those 3 mousehunter friends from long ago?

The plot would appeal to any adventure-loving 3rd and 4th grader, but the vocabulary, sentence structure and description requires a patient, advanced reader.  Milway is from England and uses a few dramatically placed 'damn's and 'blasted's.  Also, pirates can't be expected to behave neatly or tidily.  Several characters come mighty close to hanging, with the executioner's noose about their necks.  Then there's the grim Mr. Droob who  scavenges the pockets of any poor sailor who washes ashore.

Still, all of this is well-balanced against tales of loyalty, friendship, adventure and rescue:

"Remember," whispered Mousebeard as Drewshank helped him find a footing on the stones, "you have friends, and in this world that's the most important thing.  When you have friends, there's always hope.  Don't give up yet."