A mouse called Wolf by Dick King-Smith

Last week as I was heading home I quickly browsed my library shelves looking for some weekend reading.  I picked up a few books including A mouse called Wolf.  Why did I pick up this book which was first published in 1997?  I always enjoy books by Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep pig later turned into the movie called Babe.  I really liked the cover of our copy but now I have discovered new editions have even better covers.  This looked like a short book for a quick read and it was a book I had not read.

I sat down for a little while this morning and read the whole book right through in one short sitting. What a delight.  Here we have a charming story about music, mice, chocolate and one very special older lady who with patience and care befriends a little mouse called Wolf.  Actually his real name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse but this has been shortened to Wolf.  He is a mouse with a special musical talent as befits his prestigious name.  He is also a mouse with courage and perseverance.

I think the publisher is missing a terrific marketing opportunity here.  I am planning to recommend this to my Grade Three teachers as a read-a-loud title. This book should come with a CD containing all the music that Wolf and Mrs Honeybee (I love that name) enjoy together.

Here is a partial list of some of their favourites:

• Mendelssohn Song without words
• Just a song at Twilight
• Food glorious food from Oliver
• Climb every mountain
• Help by the Beatles

The best scene comes at the end of the book when Wolf sings his own composition entitled Swallow Sonata to Mrs Honeybee :

"I never taught him this, she thought, I've never heard this piece of music before.  Never in all my concert playing days did I hear this, and yet it must be by one of the great classical composers.  How light it is, how airy, how wonderfully joyful!"

If you enjoy this book follow it up with Walter which is also about a very special rodent.

Here is the web site for the author.

Readers will quickly fall in love with Wolf and his human admirer, and it is hard not to laugh when we see how the Wolf, who cannot speak human, and Mrs. Honeybee, who cannot speak mouse, somehow manage to understand one another. It probably helps that music is truly an international language.