Winner of the British Nestlé Award, this import introduces Paul, a mouse with an embarrassing allergy to cheese. His bottom turns blue, the surrounding fur falls out and his tail curls into a question mark. He lives with two friends—Sandra, a Christmas-tree angel, and the Tinby, a small metal monster with a pleasant disposition—in a cardboard box. Together with their canine neighbor, Rowley Barker Hobbs, they go to a nearby mouse restaurant and are horrified to discover that the humans who dine above them are eating mouse noses on toast as a delicacy. The Tinby is so disturbed by this development that it wreaks havoc upon the restaurant, leading the friends to join with a left-wing mouse to spearhead a thorough investigation and protest of the heinous meal. While the ending does not quite come together—Paul conquers his fear of looking ridiculous in a somewhat sudden manner—overall the story is suspenseful, witty and engaging, and the mild bathroom jokes will provide many a giggle. Imaginative and clever line drawings provide a perfect complement. (Fiction. 6-10)
