Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall
Emily Bearn
2009
It always delightful to discover a new book by accident. I saw Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall on the library shelf, recognized a British title at once, and promptly checked it out. And, I was not disappointed! This is really three of the Nutmouse books in one large volume (Tumtum and Nutmeg, The Great Escape, The Pirates Treasure).
Tumtum and Nutmeg are two adorable mice (we know they're adorable from the very cute drawings which accompany the text) who live in the large Nutmouse Hall which is located in the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage (home to humans Mr. Mildew and Lucy and Arthur Mildew). Tumtum and Nutmeg love tea time, have adopted Lucy and Arthur (visiting their bedroom at night to tidy up the room and mend things), and have glorious adventures.
These are charming read alouds to the older preschool and up crowd, and they make terrific intros for independent readers to that great British fantasy genre of talking animals. Delightful in every way. And, if you fall in love with Tumtum and Nutmeg, as my children and I have, you can even visit a website just for them!
Things to Note/Discuss
- it may be worth pointing out that Tumtum and Nutmeg get some rats drunk on chocolate liqueurs in the third book. The chocolates were a gift from nasty Aunt Ivy and no one likes the syrupy centers, but more conservative readers may wish to avoid that book if concerned. I think it points out how drunkenness only hurts, and it's certainly portrayed as folly!
I don't like anthropomorphized animal stories. Never have. Wind in the Willows, Frog and Toad, I just don't get it. The all time creepiest is Goodnight Moon though. What kind of bunnies are those that cats live in submission to them? Scary stuff.
ReplyDeleteThese mice do look cute though.
Alas, Brandy, if you don't like Frog and Toad, then there's no hope for you at all. That rules out Little Bear and a million others I can think of. You do like Brian Lies' bat books, though, don't you? How do you reconcile those?
ReplyDeleteGuess your kids won't do the whole Redwall journey either, eh? :-)