If you have not yet met the little clock maker mouse called Hermux Tantamoq can I just say please try to find his books - they are brilliant but not new. This is the second book from the series and it has left me breathless. I am a huge children's literature fan and reading these books by Michael Hoeye absolutely reinforces my love and preference for reading wonderful children's books.
As in the first book, a mysterious stranger arrives at Hermux's clock shop. In the first volume we met the wonderful Linka Perflinger. The customer this time is Birch Tentintrotter. I should perhaps mention he is a chipmunk. Birch is supposed to be dead but instead here he is in the shop looking just awful:
"Time had certainly not been kind to the old guy. He looked run-down and run over. From his patched jacket to his threadbare pants and his dusty, scuffed boots. His fur was thin and lifeless. His paws were nicked and scarred. And then there was the missing ear."
Birch is a world expert in translation - specifically the translation of "Old Cat". In this rodent world cats are the stuff of mythology. Mice fear them or don't believe they ever existed. Birch is sure there was once an ancient civilisation of cats and, using a map fragment he obtained many years ago, he is determined to find their lost library. Now the adventure can begin. Birch travels to a remote region in a small plane with Linka as pilot and Hermux as an assistant (and clock maker). Hot on the trail is the selfish and (slightly) evil Tucka Mertslin and her fiance Hinkum Stepflitchler III.
I need to stand on a mountain and tell EVERYONE to read this book (and the previous instalment Time stops for no Mouse). Sadly The Sands of Time is long out of print. I have to ask WHY? This is a brilliant book. I am giving it five stars twice!
Why do I love this book? What do I love about this book and the first instalment?
I adore the character names: Tucka Mertslin; Hinkum Stepflichler; Tarfip Dandiffer; Flurty Palin; Ortolina Perrifolt; Skimpy Dormay; Elusa Litavender; Mirrrin Sentrill; and of course Hermux Tamtamoq and the aviatrix Linka Perflinger.
The food references are perfect (for mice) and sound delicious: "Yellow cheese. And white cheese. Crumbly cheese. And creamy cheese. Sweet cheese. And stinky cheese. ... Hermux took a slice of very sharp cheddar. And a piece of aged Parmesan. And a bit of blue cheese."
Hermux loves dressing up: "It was his first tuxedo, and it was expensive. ... Mirrin answered the door in a rust-coloured evening dress that contrasted handsomely with her silver fur. She laughed happily at the sight of her young friend dressed in bright pink and green satin stripes."
The story line of unrequited love between Hermux and Linka Perflinger creates a perfect tension. By the end of The Sands of Time this pair were a little closer to the big moment when surely they will declare their love for one another. I guess I have to wait to read Book 4!
The characters are drawn so well. Each has a very distinct personality. I'm secretly in love with Hermux himself and I do wish I could go to a dinner party hosted by Mirrin.
Every evening Hermux writes a list of things to be thankful for. This is charming but it also an idea we could all follow.
"Thank you for maps and compasses. Thank you for winding rivers and crashing waterfalls. For empty canyons and rising moons. For campfires and carrots. And for some time to get to know Linka better."
Listen to an audio sample here from Chapter One.
Here are the four books in order:
- Time stops for no Mouse (1999)
- The Sands of Time (2001)
- No time like Showtime (2004)
- Time to smell the Roses (2007)
Now for another view. I often quote Kirkus on this blog. Their reviewer had a self-published copy of The Sands of Time and, well, he or she really did not like this book. In fact their opinion is the exact opposite of mine. I guess it just goes to show we are all different.
I was so lucky to find The Sands of time in a local school library but I have discovered they do not own the further two volumes.
Avi. Poppy (1995) Series
Bearn, Emily. TumTum and Nutmeg (2009) Series
Breitrose, Prudence. Mousemobile (2013) Series
Christian, Peggy. The Bookstore Mouse (1995)
Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965)
Cole, Henry. A Nest for Celeste (2010)
Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a
Tale (2011)
DiCamillo. The Tale of Despereaux (2003)
*Dillard, Sarah. Mouse Scouts (2016) Series
Dixon, Amy. Marathon Mouse (2012) Picture Book
Edwards, Julie Andrews. The Great American Mousical (2006)
*Fiedler, Lisa. Mouseheart (2014) Series
Frederick, Heather Vogel. Spy Mice (2005) Series
*Green, Poppy. The Adventures of Sophie Mouse (2015)
Hoban, Russell. A Mouse and His Child (1967)
Hoeye, Michael. Time Stops for No Mouse (1999) Series
*Holm, Jenni and Matt. Babymouse: Queen of the World (2005)
Series
*Jacques, Brian. Redwall (1986) Series
Jarvis, Robin. The Dark Portal (2000) Series
King-Smith. Dick. Three Terrible Trins (1994)
Martin’s
Mice (1988)
A Mouse
Called Wolf (1997)
The
School Mouse (1994)
Lawson, Robert. Ben and Me (1923)
*Lieb. Ratscalibur (2015)
*Lowry, Lois. Bless this Mouse (2011)
O’Brien. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971) Series
*Peck, Richard. Secrets at Sea (2011)
The
Mouse with the Question Mark Tail (2013)
*Petersen, David. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 (2007) Series
*Pilkey, Dav. Ricky Ricotta (2005) Series
Reynolds, Paul and Peter. Sydney and Simon (2014) Series
*Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square (1960) Series
*Sharp, Margery. The Rescuers (1959) Series
Smith, Sherri L. The Toymaker's Apprentice (2015)
Steig, William. Abel's Island (1975)*Stilton, Geronimo.
Various series (2000)
*Titus, Eve. Basil of Baker Street (1958) Series
*Voigt, Cynthia. Young Fredle (2000)
White, E.B. Stuart Little (1961)
Watts, Frances. Secrets of the Ginger Mice (2012) Series
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