Kids into books: A Mouse Called Wolf

Kids into books: A Mouse Called Wolf

Author: Dick King-Smith

Illustrator: Alex de Wolf

Publisher: Random House, $12.95

Age Group: 7-9 years


Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse was the youngest of thirteen children. He was also the smallest. His mother had given the other twelve mouse cubs quite ordinary names, like Bill or Jane.

But when she looked at her last-born and saw that he was only half as big as his brothers and sisters, she said to herself, "It would be nice if he could have a special sort of name, particularly as he's number thirteen which is meant to be unlucky. But what shall I call him?"

Now it so happened that this particular mother mouse lived in a house belonging to a lady who played the piano.

It was a grand piano that stood close against the wall of the drawing-room, so that its left front leg almost touched the wainscot. In the wainscot, hidden from human eye by the piano leg, was a hole.