A mouse called Julian by Joe Todd-Stanton

The fox realised it was much nicer to eat dinner with Julian than to eat Julian for dinner.
And Julian realised that having a guest wasn't so terrible.

Let's begin our exploration of this book by zooming in on the cover. Did you love The Borrowers as a child?  I certainly did. The little home of Julian is just like that space. If you look closely you can see a safety pin, his bed is a slipper, Julian is using an old tobacco pipe for storage and his bath is a pretty tea cup. In later pictures you will see a spool of thread, a thimble for a pot plant and some very sharp pencil stubs. Luckily he also has a spoon.

Now turn to the end papers. You can see the world of Julian. All of his animal neighbors live in little tunnels under the farm. If you look closely Julian's little burrow is far from everyone else and there are no connecting tunnels to the others.  Above ground a fox waits behind some trees and, because it is day time, an owl sleeps nearby. The farmer and her dog are out walking and the dog has seen a cat.

"Julian had lived on his own for as long as he could remember, and that was the way he liked it."

We don't need to feel sorry for Julian. He enjoys his solitary life and has in fact worked out all sorts of ways to avoid interactions with others either for his own safety so he doesn't get eaten or because other animals who live under the ground annoy him.

BUT the fox has been watching Julian. One evening the fox smashes into Julian's home. Julian has made his home under a large tree and while it is close to the surface it is also enclosed in strong tree roots and so the fox becomes stuck. This is a classic reversal of the predator and prey scenario.  The fox cannot get in and he cannot get out. He needs to ask Julian to help him. Julian does not want to help the fox but he also does not want a fox inside his house so he tries to help but the fox is wedged in and cannot be moved.

"When if got to dinner time, Julian couldn't bear to watch the fox's sad hungry eyes. So he shared what he had and they talked and ate long into the night."

Julian is a problem solver. The next day he tries a different plan - using his spoon! The fox is freed and Julian can resume his daily routine.

Just as in the fable of the lion and the mouse - one good turn deserves another. When Julian is almost eaten by the owl it is the fox who comes to his rescue. Life goes on for the mouse and the fox and yes they are friends now but they are also content to continue their lives meeting up for a shared meal occasionally.

It’s lovely that Julian and the fox, even though they become friends, still prefer their own company most of the time, reminding children that it’s OK to be yourself and have the friendships that suit you. Book Trust

Read more about Joe Todd-Stanton on the Flying Eye Books web site. Here is a video of Joe reading his book.

I highly recommend A mouse called Julian.  It should be in every school and public library collection so heaps of children can meet Julian and enjoy exploring his world.

Vocabulary - you could use this list to act out the action words:
dodge
hide
leap
smashed
bared
pulled
pushed
wiggled
shared

Zoom your eyes in again to the pictures of Julian's little home. Count the matches. On the first page there are five. Then Julian sets off to gather food taking a match as a light. The next time we see Julian at home he has four matches. By the final page he is down to two.  What a wonderful conversation you could have with a young child.  What happened to the third match? How will Julian get more matches? Could the fox help him with his borrowing from the farm house?

A Mouse Called Julia is heart-warming tale that is so well-crafted that it will be enjoyed by children for many years to come. The Great British Bookworm

Full of suspense, it’s a veritable visual and verbal feast. Red Reading Hub