The Mouse and the Motorcycle

The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Beverly Cleary
William Morrow & Company, 1965 158 pages
Grades 2-5
Animal Fantasy

Ralph is an adventurous young mouse residing in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn in rural California. A new family comes to stay at the hotel for a few days and a boy named Keith moves into 215. Keith loves cars and trucks; his favorite being a toy motorcycle. Ralph simply must get his hands on the motorcycle yet when he finally gives it a try, disaster strikes. Ralph flies right off of the table and into a metal trash can where he remains trapped. Luckily, Keith discovers him and the two strike up a natural friendship, neither doubting how they can understand each other's speech. Ralph greatly benefits from this new friendship, especially since Keith starts bringing him "room-service" from the dining room, supplying a feast for Ralph's whole family. Keith allows Ralph to ride the motorcycle out in the hall overnight, where he gets trapped outside of the room. With the help of a friendly bellboy Ralph is saved again, only to find himself in further danger when the maid swoops him up with the dirty linens. The motorcycle is lost in this last escapade, yet Ralph's friendship with Keith remains steadfast. That is, until Keith finds himself gravely ill with a high fever and no aspirin in the inn to bring the fever down. Should Ralph venture out to try to retrieve an aspirin? And how can he transport it without his trusty motorcycle?

This classic animal/fantasy in the tradition of The Cricket in Times Square and Charlotte's Web is my lead-in title for my new book discussion group for 3rd and 4th graders. I hadn't read this book since childhood, so I wasn't sure if Ralph, especially being older than this grizzled librarian, has stood the test of time. It certainly has. Reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a nostalgic trip to a simpler and gentler America that will comfort young readers. Nobody is getting divorced, bullied, or over-scheduled. It is a basic story that suspends disbelief allowing today's sophisticated readers to accept that mice can talk, toys motorcycles can run just by making the engine noise, and anything can happen even in the most unlikely places. Infused with gentle humor and true adventure, readers will quickly turn pages and will easily follow the linear plot. The print is a large size, the margins are wide, and the publisher is ahead of its time by including many sweet child-friendly pencil drawings, which is now a prerequisite in books for this age group. Perfect for reluctant readers and boy-friendly there is no doubt as to why this title is still in print (currently by HarperCollins) over fifty years after its first publication. Two titles continue Ralph's adventures, providing readers with somewhere to go when they are finished. A true classic from one of the greats of children's literature