Review of Milton the Mouse

Award-Winning Author Nancy Plain, recently read and reviewed my book, Milton The Mouse. Thank you Nancy!

With six grandchildren, I’m always looking for the perfect book to read aloud or to give to my seven-year-old granddaughter, who is proud to have graduated to chapter books.  That’s where the adventures of Milton the Mouse, by Janice E. Kirk, come in.  Milton is a Beethoven-loving, marshmallow-stealing, white-footed deer mouse, who stows away in a family’s camper and becomes the family’s rather skittish pet.  Mom loves the mouse’s brown eyes, and young Matt likes to play piano for him.  But how do we tell if a mouse is happy? the humans wonder.  Milton proves himself a genius at escaping his cozy cage and survives some hair-raising chases by Bertha, the resident cat.  Yet all works out well in the end, as Milton concludes, “The wild life is for the younger crowd.”

This charming story, with its lively pace, gentle humor, and fine illustrations, will deepen a child’s appreciation for the natural world and the creatures who inhabit it. Bonuses at book’s end are “Fun Facts” about deer mice, Beethoven, and that other Milton—the poet John (1608 to 1674).  Janice Kirk even includes a song she has written in honor of her bewhiskered friend.  This book is a romp, from beginning to end.

~Reviewed by Nancy Plain

Nancy Plain has a B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in music education from New York University. She has three grown daughters and lives in New Jersey with her husband Alan Goldfeder. She serves on the New Jersey State Council of The Humane Society of the United States and sponsors a rescue horse named Blaze, at Mylestone Equine Rescue. Nancy is a member of Western Writers of America and is currently serving as its President. Her latest book This Strange Wilderness, The Life and Art of John James Audubon received numerous awards including:

* YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
* Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction
* National Outdoor Book Award
* Nebraska Book Award
* Booklist Editors’ Choice
* Booklist “10 Best Children’s Biographies 2015”