This is the story of Monty Mouse, his adventures in the world, and his eventual return to his mother and his home. No need to leaf through the thing, for the cover shows all that’s wrong with this book in a nutshell. To wits: Monty “Mouse” is not a mouse, he’s a stuffed, dead rat, or, more likely, a collection of similar looking, stuffed dead rats. Upon realizing this, the adventurous and quirky photographs instantly turn very tasteless and cruel, not to mention the fact that I feel fooled by the author selling me one mammal for another. Some learning experience. But the worst fault lies with the story itself, for young Monty’s ingenious adventures invariably turn sour, and in the end send him running home for mom with nothing to show for all his inventiveness but a dirty coat. What a rotten message. Look at Monty’s stuffed carcass hanging miserably in what should be the world’s sweetest spot. No doubt he just spoiled his appetite for a nice Brussel sprout dinner, because he is sick from all the cake. That’ll teach him – and it teaches me, too: to run.
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