The Umbrella Mouse by Anna Fargher illustrated by Sam Usher

"Without mistakes, your life will never know adventure."

You can judge a book by its cover.  Well that’s exactly how I selected this book in a London bookstore last month.  I already knew the work of Sam Usher. His picture books Snow, Rain, Sun and Storm are truly special.

The Umbrella Mouse is Anna Fargher’s first book.

Pip Hanway, a young mouse, lives in an umbrella shop in London.  Generations of her family have lived inside an antique umbrella at James Smith and Sons on Bloomsbury Street. Jonas Hanway was the first man to use an umbrella in London in the 1700s. Pip’s ancestor adopted his name when his antique umbrella was donated to the store one hundred years ago.  The time now is 1944 and bombs are dropping on London. Early in the story disaster strikes when a bomb destroys the shop and Pip’s mum and dad are killed.  Pip must now find her way in the world. She is determined to take the umbrella which has been the family home to Northern Italy where her mother was born.

What Pip doesn’t know is that groups of animals, called Noah’s Ark, are working along side the humans as resistance fighters hoping to sabotage the enemy and prevent Germany invading Britain.  This group of rabbits, mice, rats, pigeons, beavers, squirrels have a hedgehog leader named Madame Fourcade.

"They were inside a large hollow underneath a fallen oak tree. Its thick, leafy boughs created an oval chamber and the morning light dappled the crisp ground with a rippling white honeycomb. A bullfinch, wearing the same headphones and holding the same triggers Pip had seen in Bernard Booth's hideout in London. Directly beneath them stood a hedgehog with little brown eyes that creased at the sides with wisdom. She was surrounded by a crowd of wild rabbits, squirrels, rats, field mice, three beavers and a stag."

I love the way Anna Fargher names the first animal hero, a rescue dog who helps Pip, Dickin.  This name is significant because of the Dickin Medal which is awarded to animals who serve in the military. This group of animals will help Pip and she in turn will show true courage and heroism. I loved the scene where Pip travels (by umbrella) across the English Channel.

Another creative idea involves invisible ink!

"Bring me a grape!' She turned to a squirrel, who dashed away at once to burrow in the ground a few paces away. Included with the original scroll was another blank sheet of paper Pip had not seen. As the hedgehog laid it flat on the ground the squirrel returned, handing her a wrinkled green bulb. Tearing the fruit open, Madame Fourcade rubbed it against the paper, revealing hidden instructions and diagrams."

This is an action packed story as explained by this reviewer at More About Books: “Pip's mission is relentless and dangerous, seemingly with no respite. Death is around every corner and I found this shocking and saddening. There's no charmed existence for these animals as they do their bit for Europe at war.”

This is the first story in a series so while things are resolved somewhat at the end there is plenty of scope for the next story.  Early on in the first book a mysterious man enters the umbrella shop. Pip nicknames him “the spy man”. He is there to collect three custom made umbrellas. One has a blade in the pole, another has a pull out poison bottle and the final one has button that makes the canopy burst out.  I do hope we find out more about this man in book two. 

I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. There is a brief mention of concentration camps. This book would also be a terrific class read aloud which is why I am suggested an older group. Aspects of World War II have been carefully researched and cleverly incorporated into the plot.