"Tell me a story, Daddy Dodd," my daughter would say, and my father would. From the moment she could talk, she loved to ask for stories, and that is how the world of Christopher Mouse began.
Christopher Mouse is a field mouse living under a large rock in the middle of a sprawling meadow. The books follow Christopher Mouse through the meadow as he makes new friends, deals with predators, floods, fear and success, and helps make the world a little better along the way.
In this book, Christopher Mouse saves Mr. Hedgehog from Mr. Fox. Mr. Hedgehog returns the favor by improving Christopher Mouse's burrow. Along the way, they become friends and set the stage for many stories to come.
I wanted to capture these childhood stories and share them with other children because they have helped my daughter frame many real-world struggles and deal with fear, anxiety, friendships, and morals. After one of the first big floods in Houston, she looked outside and exclaimed that "the Barn Rats had made a huge mess overnight" and there would be some major cleaning up to do. The story she was referencing helped her give the flood a context and, just like the barnyard, she knew that the damage would be repaired, and order restored eventually, and, in the meantime, she was not afraid. But that story comes later.
For now, smell the clover and take a short trip through the meadow with Christopher Mouse and Mr. Hedgehog.
